If You Could Only See
by Lionsheart13771
Summary: In the final battle, Naraku made a second wish on the jewel. He wished for Kagome to be sent through the well and never return, so she never did. post manga, continuation of story where Kagome doesn't return after 3 years. UPDATE Chap 31 LEMON Inu/Kag FIN
1. Chapter 1

If You Could Only See

Chapter One

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years after the well sealed.<strong>

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><p>Kagome stood at the well, staring down into its depths.<p>

'_The reason the well won't connect…is probably because of my feelings.'_

Every three days, she would come and stand here, hoping something would change.

'_When the bone-eaters well disappeared, and I was plunged into that darkness…I was so scared and sad…'_

It had been like this, for three years.

'_But I didn't know that I had been in that darkness for three days. And that made Mama, Jii-chan, and Souta scared and sad as well. I felt terrible, and I was so happy to return home. And then the well closed.'_

She never lost hope. Somehow she managed to stay strong, by hoping for the day when she could return.

'_Inuyasha…I've thought about you all the time since then. The reason I went to the Sengoku Jidai. The reason the Shikon no Tama disappeared and the well stopped connecting. What I had to do is done, and now I am forever in my…this…world…_

_A world without Inuyasha…'_

She closed her eyes, gripping the side of the well.

'_Inuyasha…_

_I want to be with you!'_

Her eyes opened as she looked once more down into the depths of the well.

And for just a moment, for a split second, she could have sworn she saw the face of the man she had loved and lost.

"Inuyasha!" she breathed.

Without thinking, without hesitation, she hurled her legs over the side of the well. She fell, down, down, down…and her feet made contact with earth.

She looked up.

There were no vines coating the edges of the well. There was no clear blue sky shining above her.

It hadn't worked.

I dry sob escaped her as she sank to her knees once again.

Had she really expected it to work? Why was today any different from the other countless days she had jumped down the well? The well had sealed, and it wasn't ever going to open again. She never belonged in the past, and she was never going back.

Tears fell from her eyes as she sat, heartbroken and empty in the well.

"Sango…" she whispered, "Miroku, Shippou, Kaede, Kirara…Inuyasha!"

Kagome pounded her fists into the dirt, as thought she could make the well open by force.

"Why?" she called out, voice cracking. "Why did it happen this way? Why couldn't I just be with them, with him?"

"Kagome?"

She looked up and saw her mother's concerned face. She watched through blurred eyes as her mother climbed down the ladder on the side of the well. Her mother sat down next to her and wrapped her arms securely around her heartbroken daughter.

"It's not fair, Mama," Kagome whispered. "It…it wasn't supposed to be like this."

"I know dear," her mother answered knowingly. "But the Kamis have a funny way of working everything out. What's meant to be, will be, and I think that you and that boy were meant to be together."

Before, these words would have filled Kagome with a new hope, a hope that would shatter the next time she tried to use the well. But she had those hopes broken too many times, it was time to face the truth.

'_I'll never see him again. He'll never smirk at me or beg me for ramen. He'll never piss me off and I'll never sit him. He'll never hold me in his arms, like he did when he found me in that darkness…_

_He was my hero, and I'll never be with him, ever again.'_

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><p><em><strong>First chap, whatcha think? Okay so far? I'm liken it! But I guess that's just me…<strong>_

_**Anyways I'd appreciate reviews! Even flames are welcome!**_

_**~Lions Heart **_獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	2. Chapter 2

If You Could Only See

Chapter Two

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. six months after K. Higurashi's 15<strong>**th**** Birthday.**

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><p>He rubbed his temples from frustration and exhaustion. Running his hand through his silver hair, he looked at the clock that now read 1:46 AM.<p>

"Fucking bastard…" he mumbled as he turned back to the paperwork littering his desk.

'_Damn him! He knows that I hate filling out these stupid forms! Fuck, he's worse now than he was when he was trying to kill me!'_

Loosing his patience, he shoved the papers that Sesshomaru had given him to complete aside as he stood and walked to the window.

He looked up and sighed at the dark sky.

'_Kami, I miss being able to see the stars.' _He thought. When you lived in Tokyo, you were lucky if you even saw one or two stars at night. _'I guess that's why she was always so fascinated by them…' _his thoughts trailed off.

Shaking his head he tried to clear it. It had been 500 years since he last saw her face, last heard her voice, last caught her familiar scent, last held her in his arms. And not a day had gone by when the thought of her hadn't crossed his mind.

Everyday, he couldn't help but wonder, _'has she been born yet? Is she still just a child? Has she fallen through the well yet? Is she maybe with me, somewhere, right now?'_

Sighing, he attempted to clean his office a bit before giving up for the night. The paperwork would just have to wait until morning.

The building was now empty. No one else working there ever had to stay until almost 2 in the morning. Catching sight of himself in a mirror, he stopped and stared at his reflection. He wondered, for the thousandth time, if by some chance, he passed her on the street, if she would recognize him. His long silver-white hair fell around his shoulder, much like it always had done, except more groomed than before. Amber eyes stared back at him, though they were more brown than they used to be. Lastly he stared at his ears. His _human_ ears. He felt them with his hands as if making sure they were real.

He wanted to see the face that she would have been familiar to. He reached behind his head and undid the clasp of the golden chain that rested behind his rosary. Pulling the heart shaped locked off, he watched as his ears traveled north to the top of his head and as his eyes turned to their usual shade of bright gold. He watched as two, thin, red stripes formed, one on each cheek. He sighed, fingering the new additions. Even with his ears back, he was still different.

Grunting in frustration, he put back on the necklace that she had given him, it seemed like four lifetimes ago. He watched as the concealment charm placed upon it did its job and hid his demon traits.

Shoving his hand into his pockets, he exited the building and began to walk down the now almost empty streets of Tokyo.

He watched a crowd of people leave a movie theater, apparently there had been a late night showing of something. He thought back to the first movie he had ever seen. It had been with her. He had been amazed at the time, not understanding how it worked. He had forgotten the movie or what it was about long ago, he just remembered how she gripped his hand that night when the scary parts came. He wished he could remember the name of the movie.

He stopped dead in his tracks, sniffing the air. _'That scent…it, it couldn't be…'_ Then he heard it.

"But how is that guy alive? I mean we _saw_ him explode at the end! There is no way a _human_ could survive that. Had he been demon…maybe."

"Inuyasha, it was just a story! The explosion was fake, the guy is really still alive! They wouldn't show someone actually dying to people for entertainment!"

Faster than lightning, he jumped into an alley to his left. He watched in amazement as she walked by, the past him by her side. He stared at her. She was just the way he remembered her, scent and all. He glanced at himself, black hair, brown eyes, and human ears, like he had now. He glanced quickly up to the sky. No moon. _'That's right, it was my human night that night.'_

Suddenly his past self froze. In one quick movement, he shoved her behind him.

"Inu-Inuyasha? W-whats wrong?"

He shrank further back into the shadows, trying to conceal his demonic aura. It would not be a good thing if his past self tried to confront him, especially in front of her.

The past him straightened, shaking his head.

"Sorry, for a second I thought I felt a demonic aura…come on lets just go back. I don't like being out on nights like this."

And with that they disappeared.

He ran out of the alley, desperate to get one more quick look at her. He leaned against a building and slid down until he was on the ground. _'We were so close…'_ he thought miserably. If he had wanted to, he could of gone to her, seen her, really seen her, for the first time in 5 centuries. _'But I can't do that, not when I know that she'll…'_

He clenched his fists and pounded them into the sidewalk. _'I'll have to be more careful from now on…' _He closed his eyes as he sniffed the air, trying to catch all remnants of her lingering scent. _'I can't let her know I'm here.'_

He pushed himself off the ground. He had known it for years, that he was never going to be with her like he wanted to be. It wasn't like catching a glimpse of her was going to change anything.

He walked down the street towards his apartment building.

'_I wish things could be different…._

…_Kagome…'_

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><p><em><strong>Sad chap…<strong>_

_**Would love a review!**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**~Lions Heart **_獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	3. Chapter 3

If You Could Only See

Chapter Three

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. 3 years, 6 months after the well was sealed.<strong>

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><p>Inuyasha growled low in his throat at the alarm clock that was blaring in his sensitive ears. Reaching over he punched it, effectively silencing it, but breaking it in the process.<p>

'_Oh well.'_ He thought as he forced himself out of his bed. He rubbed his head, trying desperately to get rid of the headache he was already forming.

It had been a ruff week for him. Work had been killer, five demons decided to rob a convenience store, without using concealment charms. Now there were stories all over the news about the "cosplay bandits" and there was a reward for information on who they might be. Worse yet, they had managed to get a picture of the idiots in their demon form, and those few humans who had spiritual powers were becoming suspicious. Unfortunately, it was his job to figure out how to straighten the whole mess out.

'_Fucking idiots!'_ He thought angrily as he pulled on a red button down shirt and kaki pants.

Didn't they understand _why _demons had gone into hiding? No matter what, humans were always going to fear demons, they would always try to fight them. But really, what was the point of fighting? That's why, four hundred years ago, Inuyasha had convinced Sesshomaru to start a movement to conceal demons from humanity. It was much easier to influence humans when they didn't fully understand what was going on.

Of course, that hadn't been his only reason for wanting to conceal the existence of demons from the world.

'_Kagome…you deserve the chance at your life back.' _He thought, as he put on the golden locket, effectively hiding his ears.

Inuyasha looked around his small apartment. He could have gotten a bigger one, had he wanted. He was paid well for the work he did at West Industries, his brother's company.

The purpose of West Industries was to keep the demon population happy, hidden, and safe. Through the efforts of him and his brother, they had effectively blended the human populous with the demon, with little to no problems. Until of course idiots like the ones he was dealing with now decided to cause trouble.

'_I don't know how in seven hells I'm going to fix this mess. Why can't Sesshomaru get off his high horse and fucking deal with this shit himself?'_

But he knew that Sesshomaru liked to see him struggle, so he knew it was pointless to ask for his help in the matter.

After driving himself to the W.I. building, Inuyasha braced himself for another long day, and walked into the building.

"Oi! Inuyasha!"

Turning, he saw a red haired fox demon approaching him, arms full of papers.

"Whaddya want, runt?" he said, warily eyeing the amount of paperwork in the demon's arms.

"I wish you would stop calling me that!" Shippou grunted angrily. "I'm older now than you were when we first met!"

That was true, but to a human, he would have appeared no older than a student in high school, albeit a tall one. He now almost reached Inuyasha's height, but was still about an inch or two away from looking him straight in the eye. He still kept his bright hair tied at the back of his head, though.

"Keh, so what? Your still the same annoying git that you were then!"

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Listen, Sesshomaru wants the robbery case dealt with by the end of the week."

"Today's Friday! It _is _the end of the week!"

Shippou just shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, his words not mine."

"Kamidamn that fucking bastard! He's at his cushy house sitting on his ass! He has no right to be ordering me around like that!"

"You know how protective he is of Rin. She's eight and a half months pregnant, and she could pop any day now. He wouldn't leave her side now if it meant the end of the world."

"Keh! I still don't get how that prick got _her _for a mate. She could have done so much better!"

Shippou laughed as he thought back to a simpler time, when Sesshomaru would have been hitting Inuyasha with a poisonous green whip to cause him pain instead of loading him down with work. In his honest opinion, this was more torture.

"I need a vacation…" Inuyasha stomped away to his office.

"Oh and by the way, Inuyasha!" Shippou called after his retreating form. "Kouga called. He said he'd be by in a few days time. Says there's something he wants to discuss with you."

Shippou smirked as he heard the once half demon swear loudly.

'_Great! Fucking great! Just what I needed right now!' _Inuyasha thought venomously. _'That vacations is sounding better and better…'_

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><p><em><strong>Thanks for reading! And as always please leave a little review! It'll only take a second…<strong>_

_**~Lions Heart **_獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	4. Chapter 4

If You Could Only See

Chapter Four

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>There were some things that people just <em>know<em>.

People _know_ that if they park their car under a tree, there is likely going to be bird dung on it. People _know _that is isn't a good idea to pull down a stranger's pants in and elevator, especially if they are bigger than you. People _know_ that you don't coat your hand in gravy and hold it out to a rabid starving dog.

And people _know_ that you do whatever it takes to avoid Inuyasha when he's pissed.

And boy, was he pissed.

Even Sesshomaru avoided Inuyasha on days like this, though he wouldn't admit to it if you asked him.

Kouga was coming by W.I. today, and almost everyone _knew_ what he was here for. Every few years or so, Kouga would demand to see Inuyasha. And, as always, he would try to worm out any information he could on Kagome. He'd tried all different sorts of methods, the direct approach, stealthily as if not truly caring, but Inuyasha was determined to keep information of Kagome hidden.

Others had tried too. Shippou, Rin, and Jinenjii mostly. But Inuyasha made it clear that he wouldn't tell anyone anything.

When Kouga came looking for her, soon after she disappeared, Inuyasha told him that she had gone back to her homeland, a place where demons couldn't reach. Kouga knew that he wasn't telling the whole truth, however. They fought many times, Inuyasha always won, but he never would kill Kouga. Kagome hadn't wanted Kouga to be dead.

Finally, it seemed that the wolf demon had given up. Then in July of 1945, Inuyasha sent a message to all demons telling them to get their asses and the asses of anyone they cared about out of Hiroshima and Nagasaki before August. When word reached Kouga of the nuclear bombs exploding in the two cities, he was on the phone immediately calling for information. Instead of getting Inuyasha on the line however, he found himself badgering Shippou for answers. Shippou unwillingly let slip that Kagome had mentioned the attack to Inuyasha before.

Now Kouga was not stupid. He could put two and two together. On his own, he was able to deduce that Kagome had come from the future, somehow, and she had undoubtedly been sent to back to her time.

Which meant that at some point, Kagome would be back.

'_And I'll be damned if I let that mutt keep me from her!' _Kouga thought as he made his way to W.I.

犬夜叉

Inuyasha sat at his desk, drumming his fingers furiously. He was late. The damn wolf had scheduled a full four hour meeting in which he would pester Inuyasha for any information, and he was late for it! The nerve.

Pulling up a web browser on his computer, he typed in a link to a familiar website. higurashi shrine . com. It was a really simple page. It was basically contact information and business hours, but he clicked on the link that said "About the Shrine".

"_The Higurashi Shrine has been in the family of the Higurashi's for over four hundred years. Since it's construction, there have been three destructive fires, the most recent being four years ago. However the most damage came from the most recent fire, though only a storage shed was destroyed. The current owners take pride in what they do, living and working each day to please the Kamis. Training their children in the ways of old, the Higurashi's will undoubtedly continue to pass down the stories and legends told to them and will share them with the public._

_We here at Higurashi Shrine would love to see you soon! May your day be blessed."_

He had thought about going down to the shrine many times before, but he would have been creating unnecessary risks in doing so. After all, it was one of W.I. 's main warnings to demons to NOT go to a shrine. Humans with spiritual powers always tended to be at shrines, and with spiritual powers came the ability to sense demons.

No, this was as close as he'd ever get to Kagome again, he was determined of that.

'_Good for nothing, hard-ass prick! Where the hell is he?'_

As if on cue, the speaker at his desk crackled to life as the voice of his secretary filled the room.

"Mr. Tashio, Mr. Ookamii is here to see you sir."

Groaning, Inuyasha picked up the speaker. "Lets get this over with, shall we?"

In less than a second, an angry wolf demon burst through the doors

"I've got a bone to pick with you!" he shouted angrily.

"Nice to see you too, wolf shit." Inuyasha said coolly.

Walking over to the desk, Kouga leaned forward so his face was right in Inuyasha's. Inuyasha didn't pull back, but just stared calmly back in his face.

"'Bout a week ago, I was in town for a meeting. You know where it was? The opposite side of Tokyo."

Inuyasha's heart gave a small lurch, but he kept his face impassive. Working with Sesshomaru had affected him.

"You wanna know what I saw, mutt face? Middle school girls."

"Now now, Kouga, don't you think they're a bit too young for a 650 year old demon? I knew you were a selfish piece of shit, but I had no idea you were a cradle-robber too." Inuyasha quipped, trying to hide the frantic feeling he was starting to get.

"You know what those girls were wearing?" Kouga continued, not even fazed by Inuyasha's comment. "A little green skirt with a white shirt and red tie. Just. Like. Kagome's."

"Kouga," Inuyasha said, still keeping a cool head. "Don't you think I'm well aware of that? In fact, the school that issues those particular uniforms have been using he same ones for 30 years now." It wasn't a lie, the uniforms for that middle school had always been like that…or at least similar. It wasn't like Kagome was still attending that school anyway. If he was correct, Kagome should be graduating high school soon, or perhaps she already had…

It was more important now then it ever had been to keep Kagome unaware of demons presence in her world.

"What the hell is your problem? Why are you trying so hard to keep anyone from her! I care about Kagome and I have a right to know if she's alright!"

"Trust me, she is fine." Inuyasha said, sitting back rubbing his temples.

"HA!" Kouga cried triumphantly. "You said she IS fine! I knew it!"

'_Shit!' _Inuyasha thought as he realized his mistake.

"I was right all along! She's here now, and I'm going to find her, just you wait!"

Before he could leave, Inuyasha was standing in from of the door, blocking his exit.

"Out of my way, flea bag!" Kouga snarled.

"No Kouga!" Inuyasha bared his apparently human teeth.

"You selfish BASTARD!" Kouga screamed, losing any patience he still held and swung his fist wildly at Inuyasha's head. "You can't keep her to yourself! We all care about her! We have a right to see her!"

"It's not like that you PRICK!" Inuyasha roared, slamming his fist into Kouga's gut, sending him flying across the room.

Inuyasha walked across the room where Kouga laid, dazed upon the floor.

"Kagome gave up everything to help us back then." He started, his voice no louder than a whisper. "She struggled with everything that was important to her back in her time because she was so dedicated to helping defeat Naraku, when she didn't even have to. She deserves the chance at her life back Kouga. You can't take that away from her. She needs to be with people from her own time."

"But we are in her time!" Kouga argued, getting to his feet. "We're part of her time, right now! What if she's worried about us? What if she's still trying to figure out a way back to us!"

Inuyasha was quiet for a long time, his head bowed, hiding his eyes in his silver tresses. Kouga stared at him as he walked to his desk and sat down in his chair. Reaching behind his neck, Inuyasha took the gold locket from his neck. His features changed as he stared at the locket clenched in his fist.

"Trust me Kouga, she'll move on. She wasn't supposed to meet us then. Please, just…let her go."

The wolf demon stared at the full blooded dog demon. Inuyasha's face seemed impassive, but his eyes told a different story.

"You. Don't. KNOW THAT!" Kouga screamed at him again, anger flaring up again. "I don't give a FUCK what you say! I'm going to find her if it kills me! She needs us!"

"No. She. Doesn't." Inuyasha growled, standing to his feet once again. The red marks on his face turned a deep shade of purple and became thick and jagged. Kouga looked to the demon's clenched fist as his claws glowed green and poison began to seep from under his claws.

But Kouga knew Inuyasha wouldn't kill him. "How do you know that? How can you be sure?" he asked softly.

"How could you possibly understand, Kouga?" Inuyasha all but whispered.

Kouga walked to Inuyasha and looked in his face.

"What are you hiding?"

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><p><em><strong>First ever cliffie! If you can call it that…hehe.<strong>_

_**Anyways I would absolutely love a little review…even like a little awkward fat smilie would be awesome…^_^**_

_**Laters**_

~Lions Heart 獅子の心 (ROAR! ^-^)


	5. Chapter 5

_**Just a note, I'm following the manga more than the anime. They aren't that different, but there are a few differences. Like in the manga, there was no Ayame. I loved her in the anime, and I love Koug/Aya pairing, but none in this story, sorry!**_

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><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Chapter Five

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Three years, two months since the well closed.<strong>

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><p>Kagome stared out of the window of her bedroom. Looking out it, you could see the small structure that hid the bone eater's well from view. She wanted to go to it, like she had so many times before, but she couldn't make her feet move.<p>

She lay her head down on her desk, looking at the collage of pictures that were pinned to the corkboard on the wall. Images of a small Kagome covered the top half. Her in a man's arms, that could only belong to her father. Her holding a baby boy with confused looks on her face. Her meeting up with her friends on her very first day of school.

Farther down the board, the images of Kagome grew into a young woman, wearing the standard middle schooler's outfit. Her face was rounded and still held that look that showed ignorance and childishness.

Then there were later pictures of Kagome, still is the same outfit, but she had changed drastically. Gone from her face was the roundness and ignorance. Her features were more defined, and she looked much older. Behind her happy smiles held a determination. In many of these pictures, a teenage boy stood next to her. He looked no older than fifteen or sixteen, and his hair was silvery white as it fell around his face from underneath a hat. In every picture of him, he held a smirk that showed of just the tip of his teeth, either that or a scowl at having his picture taken again.

Kagome stared at these pictures. They were her only assurance that it had all been real, that _he _had been real. Though she had whined and complained about her mother constantly snapping the pictures at the time, now she was grateful. Had it not been for those photographs, she would have surely gone mad with the dreams and nightmares that plagued her nights. They told her to forget her past, to forget them, because they weren't around anymore. Not one of them.

She felt the tears form in her eyes again, but did nothing about them as her vision blurred. She allowed the tears to fall, staining her cardigan as she again prayed for at least some way to know the fate of her friends, her family.

She wondered what she was going to do with her life. She had just barely made it through high school. Her grades were poor, and she didn't get any offers from universities, but she would have turned them down, if she had received any.

She supposed she would work at the shrine, as her grandfather and father had done. She would grow old, telling Souta's children all the old legends of demons and epic battles. She wouldn't tell them to her own children, because she was sure that she would never have any.

As a child, she always dreamed of having a family of her own. A husband who would come home every night to sit at the dinner table and eat the meal she had prepared, children, two or three at least, running around and filling the house up with laughter.

She had never imagined the face of her husband before, he was more or less just there. But after meeting Inuyasha…

She let that childish dream enter her mind again, but filling the role of the husband with the image of the hanyou she had come to love. It looked so…right.

She couldn't imagine trying to fill that spot with anyone else. Just the thought of trying to find someone to replace him made her sick to her stomach.

Standing, Kagome wandered around the empty house. Souta would be at school, and her Mama and Jii-chan were at the doctors today. She walked to a small room in the corner of the house that housed a small piano. If wasn't anything fancy, in fact it was rather old and a bit out of tune. She sat down on the bench and stared at the keys.

When she had been younger, her father had wanted her to take piano lessons. She did it because she loved him, but when he died, she quit and never looked back. Until the well sealed. For some reason, the fact that she could produce a melody on the object fascinated her, and it somehow brought peace to her troubled heart.

Raising her hands to the keys, she played around with chords and variations of scales, not really playing a real song. Soon however, her keen ear picked up on a melody of sorts, and she went along with it to she what she could do.

It started out soft and melancholy, speaking of pain and denial. As it progressed, it displayed grace and strength, and a will to go on. An image came to Kagome's mind of a woman that was more than a sister than a best friend to her. A woman, who, despite terrible tragedy, kept fighting in order to move forward.

'_Sango…'_ Kagome thought as she continued with the melody.

The song finished with a sad chord, leaving a bitter sweet taste in the air.

"That was great, Sis!"

Turning, Kagome gave a sad smile to her younger brother who had just arrived from school.

"Thanks Souta."

"Do you have a name for it?" he said sitting down beside his older sister.

"…Taijiya Sango," she replied after a moment of thought.

"Is she…from back then?" he questioned softly.

"Hai. Poor Sango had to deal with so much with her younger brother…she's the reason why I don't take you for granted anymore!" she said, giving her younger brother a tight squeeze.

"Oof! Hey lay off will ya'? You know, you're an embarrassment sometimes!" he joked, poking his sister in the side.

"Urusai! Your friends aren't around now are they?"

Laughing, Souta stood from the bench and pulled his sister to her feet.

"You're somethin' else, sis," he said with a big smile.

"Come on you," Kagome said, pulling him towards the kitchen. "Mama and Jii-chan will be back soon. Lets have diner waiting for them when they come home."

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><p><em><strong>Poor Kagome ~.~ <strong>_

_**Just a note, if you want a really beautiful fanfic to read, look for Lullaby by Emania. It was really stunning.**_

_**Also thanks to those of you who subscribed to the story, unfortunately I don't know names cause I just get an email sayin someone added my story to their alerts ^.^**_

_**If it isn't too much trouble…could you please leave a little review telling me what you think? I promise it won't take more than a second! I'd really like to be an author one day and I need some constructive criticism! Thanks!**_

_**Review responses; **_

_**Princess Star: **I'm glad! lolz**  
><strong>_

_**VCarter21: **__Thanks!_

_**KagomesDarkHeart: **__Thanks so much! Lolz that's so true! Poor Kagome can't seem to keep her head out of trouble, can she? Inuyasha has a reason for hiding himself from her though. In hindsight, it may be stupid, but hey, it makes sense to him. Baka mitai! _ばかみたい

_**That's all! **_

_**Well until later!**_

~Lions Heart 獅子の心 (ROAR! ^-^)


	6. Chapter 6

If You Could Only See

Chapter Six

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><p><strong>Warring States Era: Seven years after the well sealed.<strong>

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><p>He fell against the side of the well, defeated. He didn't know what to do. What he had just seen still clouded his eyes and he couldn't push the image away.<p>

He tried to stand but his limbs felt like lead. He wanted to scream out in misery, but he couldn't make his voice work. He wanted to lash out, cutting anything in his path until it felt the way he felt, but he couldn't find the energy. All he could do was sit there, his breathing labored, as he tried to deal with reality, with the truth.

What had he expected? Surely, with all of the harsh lessons life had thrown his way, he hadn't actually gotten his hopes up!

But he had, and now he was crushed.

All this time, he had been determined to get to her, even if he had to wait until she was born into the world. He had been so sure that he would be able to be with her again.

But after what he had just seen, he knew that he could never do that to her.

The truth of what might happen if he tried to get to her now hit him like an iron clad punch.

The more selfish part of him told him to screw it and go after her anyway, but he wasn't cruel. He would never intentionally destroy lives like that.

So what was there for him now?

Ever since he lay his eyes on her, he never even thought about what he would do if he couldn't be with her. He spent one year with her, protecting her and letting her heal his heart. Then he spent the last seven years trying to find a way to her, carrying on so that he could see her smile, hear her laugh, feel her in his arms.

But now that was never going to happen.

He wasn't sure how long he lay there, fighting back tears in his eyes. He couldn't let himself cry at this. He really should have expected something like this after all.

He watched the sun set, and rise again, never moving from his position against the well.

Soon, a figure sat down by Inuyasha. He gave a small start as he stared at Miroku. He hadn't even heard him coming, he was so lost in thought.

"Watching the sunrise?" the monk asked, a soft smile toying at the corners of his mouth.

The monk had defiantly aged. He was now in his late twenties, but he still held that mischievous gleam in his eye that told he was up to no good. Inuyasha however still resembled a boy no older than sixteen. He had stopped aging at a human rate when he reached the age of fifteen, and it had taken 100 years, not including the time he spent sealed to the tree, to age a year by human status.

Grunting, Inuyasha turned his gaze back to the horizon.

Over time, Inuyasha had come to see Miroku as his friend, instead of just a traveling companion.

"You know, Inuyasha, the great Buda works in strange ways sometimes," Miroku said, warily eying his friend. "Sometimes you just have to trust that things are going to work out the way they were meant to."

Inuyasha slowly got up. He didn't have the strength to recount what he had witnessed.

"…I…I…can't…I have to go."

Walking towards the edge of the clearing, he spared one last glance at the lecherous monk who offered his friendship when he had nothing to offer back. He looked at Inuyasha with a look of deepest pity and sorrow.

"I'll be back," Inuyasha whispered, barely audible.

He took off, running through the trees.

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><p><em><strong>Review Responses:<strong>_

_**KagomesDarkHeart: **__Thanks! I was wondering!_

_**3lue 3utterfly: **__Yeah I know, I had to fix some things in the chapter like grammar and such. You might be able to guess, my cousin figured it out like, right away, lolz, but maybe its just cause she knows me so well ^-^ Hope this is soon enough 4 u!_

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><p><em><strong>Thanks again! Hope no one's confused about the time jumps!<strong>_

_**I live off reviews! they give me inspiration ^.^ I would love even a little one, if you have the time!**_

_**~Lions Heart**__獅子の心_ _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	7. AN

If You Could Only See

AUTHOR'S NOTE

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><p><em><strong>Okay, it was just brought to my attention that chapter three wasn't uploaded correctly. I am so sorry about that guys! I could have sworn that it was the right chapter when I uploaded it, I usually go to my profile page and re-read the story after an hour or two on the website to make sure it looks right, but for some reason I guess I just forgot to with chapter three. Anyway, thanks to the people who pointed this out to me, because I would have totally missed it otherwise. (It only took three people telling me for me to realize it! -_-")<strong>_

_**Chapter three explains what W.I. (West Industries) is, so please forgive me if there was any confusion!**_

_**I am really sorry, I just don't know what happened! Anyway, its fixed now and everything should be a go, please tell me if its not!**_

_**~Lions Heart **__獅子の心__**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	8. Chapter 7

If You Could Only See

Chapter Seven

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years, six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>It had taken a call from security, and three armed demons to drag Kouga from the W.I. building.<p>

Inuyasha had silently refused to answer any more of Kouga's questions, and he had lost it. After removing the leather band from around his wrist that acted as his concealment charm, the wolf youkai proceeded to attack the dog youkai with renewed vigor.

Inuyasha didn't want to fight Kouga; he was tired, mentally and physically. He could have easily beaten him, he knew that for sure, but what good would beating him do? He would still come back, he would still stop at nothing in order to reach Kagome, and Inuyasha knew that. He only hoped he could keep Kagome safe from Kouga.

Inuyasha ordered that he should be notified if and when Kouga was in Tokyo and what he was doing. Inuyasha had also traveled to the middle school where he had once waited on Kagome. He wanted to make absolutely sure that if Kouga tried to go to the school for information on Kagome, he wouldn't get a thing.

The only real information Kouga had on Kagome was her first name and what the clothes she used to wear looked like. Before Naraku had been defeated, there hadn't been any need for her to give out her last name. He thanked the kamis for that everyday.

Had anyone but him known her last name was Higurashi, she would have been found the moment she was born. There was only one Higurashi family and they were famous for owning the oldest operating shrine in Tokyo. Kouga and the others would have been on her like glue, perhaps even before she fell through the well the first time, and that just wasn't an option.

It was funny, really. He promised he'd protect Kagome over 500 years ago, and he was still protecting her today, even if she didn't know it.

Inuyasha went to his car and began to drive towards the hospital. Earlier that day he had received a frantic call from Jaken, who worked as Sesshomaru's personal assistant, saying that Rin had gone into labor an hour before hand. The toad demon or whatever the hell he was practically screaming into the phone when calling with the news, and had only shut up when Inuyasha had heard a loud thump on the other end of the line that he assumed came from Sesshomaru hitting the imp on the head, effectively knocking him out.

Laughing at the image of his brother hitting the little piece of shit in order let out his frustration, he flipped on the radio. It was turned to a station that played orchestral music. Inuyasha didn't generally like computerized music, it wasn't that it was bad, but there was just something special about music created with two hands. It was just magical.

A piano solo came on. It was bright and innocent, and it made an image come to his mind of a small girl in an orange kimono running through fields of flowers. It reminded Inuyasha so much of the girl he was now going to visit in the hospital. He waited for the song to end as listened as the radio hosts came on to announce the name of the next song.

"Once again, you were just listening to _Rin's Theme_, and up next we'll be playing some old favorites of yours –"

Inuyasha had quit listening however.

"_Rin's Theme, huh? Bloody brilliant. Rin will love it I'm sure." _He thought as he pulled into a parking space near the front of the building.

Walking into the waiting room, he was shocked to see his half-brother pacing the floor.

"Oi, Sesshomaru! What the hell are you doing out here? I thought you'd be in there with Rin!"

The powerful youkai snapped his head toward Inuyasha and bared his teeth as he snarled, "The doctors seemed to be under the impression that I was causing Rin too much stress and suggested I wait out here." Venom seeped through his voice as he said this.

"They kicked you out, huh?" Inuyasha said, taking a seat in a chair.

Sesshomaru stopped his pacing and glared coldly at the doors through which his mate now lay. "If it was not important for them to help my mate, this Sesshomaru would have killed them."

"Whoa, they must have really ticked you off! You're talking in the third person again!" trying to take the demon's mind off his mate.

"You shall hold your tongue, half breed."

"Oi! I ain't half demon anymore! You know that!" Inuyasha said grumpily.

"Your blood may be that of a full demon, but you were still born from a _human_," he spit out, saying human the same way people said cockroach.

"Need I remind you that _your kid_, that should be here any time now, is being born from a _human_?"

"Rin is not an ordinary human," Sesshomaru said simply before taking up his pacing again. Inuyasha just shook his head in disbelief. His brother could be such an ass.

犬夜叉

Many, _many_ hours, and a few hundred miles worth of pacing later, the baby was born. Rin and Sesshomaru's first child. It was a baby girl.

Inuyasha strolled calmly into the delivery room a few minutes after his brother, to see Rin sitting up in bed, looking exhausted, holding a tiny bundle wrapped in soft pink.

"Rei…" Sesshomaru whispered the name of his daughter and leaned forward to kiss his mate gently on the forehead.

Inuyasha came into the room to get a better look. "Wow, Rin! I told you that I diet I gave you would work! It looks like you lost about 10 pounds overnight!" he joked.

"Oh ha, ha!" she said, smiling up at her brother in law. She smiled down at the baby sleeping peacefully in her arms. "She looks just like her father!" she whispered, breathlessly.

"Yeah, but she's got her uncle's ears!" Inuyasha said as he pulled the blanket back slightly, exposing the two dark furry triangles that stuck up on the girl's head. He began to rub them in the same spot he liked his rubbed and smirked when she gave a small sigh accompanied with a smile. "Oh yeah, me and this munchkin are gonna be tight, I can tell."

Rin gently passed her new daughter to her mate as he stared in awe at the beautiful creature he had helped create.

Inuyasha stared at the new family and felt a pang of longing deep in his heart. He had once thought that he could maybe have this one day, but he knew he never could without Kagome.

He tried to push her from his mind as he remembered what he had wanted to show Rin.

"Hey, Rin, I found something that I think you'll love. Think of it as a sort of 'your finally not preggers anymore' present," he said, pulling out his phone. He played _Rin's Theme_ for her and smiled happily when her whole face lit up at hearing the beautiful melody.

"Oh Inuyasha! That was so beautiful!" Rin cried, throwing her arms around her brother in law.

"You better like it! The song's called _Rin's Theme_," Inuyasha told her proudly.

"Wow! How on earth did you find this?" she gasped.

"Call it fate," Inuyasha said simply. He didn't actually believe in fate. It was a bunch of bull shit in his mind. Things happened because people made them happen, there wasn't someone sitting up there pulling on the strings to make sure things ended a certain way. But he'd rather let them think he put more thought into this than just hearing it on the radio on the way over here.

"I am curious as to who the composer is of this piece," Sesshomaru said, looking at Inuyasha with interest.

"You know, I'm not really sure who wrote it," Inuyasha spoke truthfully. "It didn't really say when I bought it."

"I wish I could hear more by them! I wonder if they would write a song in request, we could have one made for little Rei!" Rin said excitedly.

"Hn," was Sesshomaru's only response as he pushed the hair back from his beloved Rin's face.

Inuyasha wondered for the millionth time how his bastard of a brother had been able to snag a happy ending.

Sometimes life could be such a bitch.

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><p><em><strong>Review Responses:<strong>_

**3lue 3utterfly; **Yeah, I always seem to write a character as depressed at some point -_-' ah well. Btdubs I just wanted to say that your name is completely awesome. I didn't get it the first time you reviewed, and then I was just looking at it and I was like O.O OMG THAT'S COOL! Very creative.

**Sailor Peach;** I'm not going to lie, your review really made me smile! I never thought about your first point! At the end of the manga/anime, before Naraku died, he told them he had made a second wish on the jewel. Then when Kagome was inside the jewel, the jewel told Inuyasha that Naraku wished for Kagome to go away and never return. At least that's what I think happened, it was a bit confusing. You gave me a great idea for another chapter though! I'm so happy you pointed that out to me! Also thanks for pointing out the age difference mistakes I made. I was able to fix those! Thanks so much for the advice! And also thanks for not being mean about it! I'm always looking for tips and advise on writing, cause I literally just got serious about writing, and I have a long way to go if I ever want to be published! ^.^ Hey, dream big achieve big right?

**Raindropdays; **Thanks for pointing out the mistake in chapter three for me! I could have sworn it was right when I posted it! I even checked the link and everything! Grr sometimes technology really bugs me! And no, I don't have a beta, I'm still very new to writing and I realize that mistakes can be very bothersome. I'm a bit hesitant to get a beta because I like to post chapters right as I finish them. I like to get feedback while the chapter is still fresh in my mind, and if I get a beta, I'd have to wait before posting each chapter as they reviewed it. Also…I'm really not sure how to get one! I've only been on fanfiction for a few months and I really have only been reading until recently! However I may look into getting a beta if the mistakes really are that irksome to you and other readers! Thanks for reading and I really appreciate the advice!

**Fmafan014: **I'm still debating when to share what Inu saw, I haven't gotten that far in writing the chapters yet lolz! Thanks so much for the review!

**KagomesDarkHeart; **LOLZ! Omg I love Hebii! I've been trying to find time to read your story with him! He was right, things are only going to get worse for Inu. Thanks for the review!

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><p><em><strong>If you want to hear what Rin's Theme sounds like, go to YouTube and type in Inuyasha Rin's Theme. I don't think there is a piano version on there, i really just imagined it in my head, but you can get a feel for what the song sounds like yourself, if you want!<strong>_

_**~Lions Heart**__獅子の心__(ROAR! ^-^)_


	9. Chapter 8

If You Could Only See

Chapter Eight

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><p><strong>Warring States Era: Final Battle against Naraku<strong>

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><p>Inuyasha stared in horror at the giant form that was Naraku as he fell from the sky. When it fell, there would be no escape - he would crush them. If by some miracle they were able to avoid that, they would surely be poisoned to death by the intense amount of miasma that was seeping like blood from the monstrous form.<p>

Chunks of solidified miasma fell to the ground around Inuyasha as he pulled Kagome with him, trying desperately to keep her out of harms way. He looked at her face, which was twisted with fear.

He felt a sudden determination swell up inside him. He would not allow her to die like this. He would save her because in the end he always did, and this time was no different.

Grasping Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha leapt into the air bringing down the blade in an arc with a deadly grace.

"MEIDOU ZANGETSUHA!"

The meidou blades shot through the sky bigger and more powerful than they ever had been, even when fired by Sesshomaru or his father. The blades made contact with Naraku's disintegrating body and cut in deep, causing him to implode on himself as he was sucked into the blackness of the meidou. However this was not enough to destroy the jewel.

"I see it!" Kagome cried. "If I shoot it now…" she said as she pulled back the arrow. "I believe in this shot," she said, more to herself, "My arrow will hit the shikon no tama!"

She let the arrow fly. It sped through the air, emitting a great power, one not even Kikyo could have rivaled. It drew closer to Naraku, and vanished.

"The arrow disappeared!" Inuyasha shouted. He turned to face Kagome and was surprised to see that she was still staring at the place the arrow seemingly evaporated.

"Please…" she whispered, barely audible, "pierce the jewel!"

She walked slowly forward, her eyes locked on Naraku.

"Naraku…the shikon no tama…didn't grant your real wish, did it?" she sounded as though she was speaking directly to him, and Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder if she was.

The sound of glass cracking cut through the air like a knife.

"Did I do it?"

The remainder of Naraku's body began to fall at an unbelievable speed.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha shouted, fear griping at the very fiber of his being.

He dashed forward and pulled her away running harder than he ever had in his life, desperate to keep her safe. The body was crumbling and the miasma was slowly being purified by the sheer power of Kagome's arrow.

When the last of his body crumbled away, Kagome and Inuyasha stood at the bone eater's well. Everyone rushed to the well and gathered around it, for the remnants of Naraku were there along with the pierced shikon no tama.

"Naraku!" Inuyasha snarled at him, but he didn't attack. It was obvious to all that he would not be a threat much longer.

Naraku gave them a satisfied smile like a child who knew a secret that others didn't.

"At that time, the moment Byakuya of the Mirage cut Kagome, that was when…I made another wish on the jewel."

"She was cut by Byakuya?" Shippo cried, a horrified look set deep in his face.

"The moment I die, that wish will be granted. The wish I made on the jewel will be used by the shikon no tama itself!"

Light began to engulf what was left of Naraku as he died, but he still managed a triumphant laugh right before he disappeared for good.

There was a moment of silence as the realization of what had just happened sunk in.

They had finally succeeded in killing Naraku!

"Wha-" Kagome suddenly cried out.

Turning quickly, Inuyasha watched in terror as a meidou opened itself behind Kagome.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha cried.

She screamed as the meidou pulled her into its depths. "INUYASHA!"

He jumped after her, reaching out his hand to grasp her, but he was pushed back as the meidou closed, taking Kagome with it.

"It vanished!" Kohaku cried.

"Kagome? Wha…what's going on?" Inuyasha said looking around, as if he could still find her there.

"Was Kagome cut by Byakuya?" Shippo stepped forward, tears in his eyes. "I saw it. Byakuya stole meidou zangetsuha's youkai power."

Inuyasha stared at the spot she had disappeared to. "Kagome…where did you –"

"The well!" Kaede cried, cutting him off. "What happened to the bone eater's well?"

Everyone gasped in astonishment as they stared where the well should have been.

Now there was nothing.

"The well is gone!" Miroku said, astonished.

"What if Kagome…returned to the world beyond the well?" Shippo said softly as more tears fell. If that was true, he knew it would be impossible to get to her.

"What did Naraku wish for in the end?" Miroku wondered aloud. He began to pull off his glove that hid his kazaana.

"Houshi-sama?" Sango stared worriedly at him. "Houshi-sama!" she cried as she stared at his empty hand.

"The kazaana is gone!" Kaede cried.

"Your curse is gone!" Sango's eyes began welling up with tears of joy and relief.

"Yes, there is no doubt," the monk said as he stared at his hand, "Naraku is gone. However…the shikon no tama…what happened to it?"

The truth crashed itself upon Inuyasha as he realized the jewel's desire.

He pulled out his sword and cut through the air, creating a meidou. "Please Tetsusaiga! Take me where Kagome is!" He jumped down into the meidou, disappearing from his friends view.

"Inuyasha!"

"Inyasha-sama!"

But he was already gone.

'The shikon no tama feared Kagome. If it's still alive…there's no way it would allow Kagome to live in peace! Wait for me Kagome, I will definitely find you!'

Inuyasha floated around in the blackness, searching desperately for any sign of her.

"Kagome where are you?" He called out, hoping for some answer. "Kagome…your somewhere in this meidou!"

"Kagome!"

"Nee-Chan!"

He could hear her family!

"Ma'am what happened to Kagome?"

"Even after she tried so hard to get in, she hasn't been at school once so far!"

With those words vanished Inuyasha's last hope that Kagome was indeed safe on the other side of the well.

"So Kagome didn't go home?" he called out to them.

He heard a collective gasp.

"Is that you Inuyasha-kun?"

"Inu no Nii-Chan!"

"The bone eater's well has disappeared! Did something happen?" her grandfather called frantically.

"Where is Kagome?"

"Is nee-chan okay?"

Fear gripped Inuyasha, because he didn't know. He didn't know if Kagome was all right or not, much less if he'd be able to save her in time. Her smiling face filled his mind. He felt that same determination fill him again. He would save her because he had to. He owed her too much to let her down now.

"She's fine!" he called confidently, "and I'll definitely find her, just wait!"

He continued through the darkness, searching for a sign of anything here other than himself.

"Kagome!" he called out, not really expecting an answer. Suddenly a loud roar reached his ears. He turned to see hundreds upon hundreds of demons, all snarling and baring their claws and fangs at him.

"OUT OF THE WAY! KAZE NO KIZU!"

The demons were torn apart by the blast of energy Inuyasha sent out, but for every demon that was destroyed, another came to take it's place.

'I blasted it apart…but there's still youkai…These things are…'

"Even if you don't search, the miko will be here soon," they spoke in unison, as if they were all the same being.

"Miko…? You mean Kagome?"

"We can feel it, the miko's heart is succumbing to the darkness. Kagome will lose to her fear of the darkness, and will wish on the jewel. A wish to save herself. A wish to escape the darkness of conflict and return to a peaceful world…"

"So the shikon to tama is still alive?"

"Have you not realized hanyou? The place you are now is inside the shikon no tama! And then out of selfishness, Kagome will wish on the jewel to be saved and end up here. Kagome will spend an eternity in this shikon no tama, battling with us."

"You intend to absorb Kagome!"

"The shikon no tama cannot be destroyed. The battle continues within the jewel, and in the next world, it will pass into the hands of someone who will make a wretched wish. And the cycle continues! Its fate cannot be broken."

Inuyasha filled with rage at the demons' words. He brought down the sword, killing all before him, but soon they started to reform once again.

"DON'T LOSE KAGOME! JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET THERE!"

He slashed again and again at the demons that surrounded him, but he could not end them.

"KAGOME, WHERE ARE YOU? KAGOME!"

Suddenly he became aware of a battle occurring not to far from where he was.

"Wha…a human?"

A priestess with long straight hair was fighting off hundreds of demons on her own. She cut them all down, but they reformed and kept coming back for another attack.

"That is the miko who birthed this shikon no tama," the demons responded in answer to Inuyasha's confusion. 'That's Midoriko!'

"Her battle with us has lasted for hundreds of years, since the shikon no tama was born. And Kagome will continue it from here!"

A web materialized in front of Inuyasha. As he looked up in shock, he saw a head at it's center. The head of Naraku.

"Naraku…he's alive?"

"He is dead," demons said, "however he will awaken shortly. Kagome will lose to her fear of the darkness, and in selfishness will wish on the jewel to return to her own world. And the moment she is taken in by the shikon no tama, Naraku will awaken, and a new battle of souls will begin. It is a never ending battle. Ever since she crossed through time and carried the shikon no tama to the Sengoku era, Kagome's fate has been decided. She will become one with the jewel. Continuing the battle within the jewel was the reason Kagome was born."

Inuyasha stared at the priestess Midoriko. She looked exhausted. Beaten and worn down, yet she continued to fight. She had to fight, she had no choice. She had been fighting the same battle for hundreds of years, and now the jewel wanted Kagome to fight in it as well.

No, he would not let that happen! He would never let Kagome suffer like this!

"YOUR WRONG! THAT IS NOT THE REASON KAGOME WAS BORN!" he screamed as he brought down Tetsusaiga once again.

"Kagome taught me how to smile, how to trust people. It's because of Kagome I have friends. Relying on my companions, shedding tears for other people, true strength and kindness…Kagome taught them all to me. Kagome was born so that she could meet me. And I too…for Kagome's sake." Inuyasha called out, determined to reach her, somehow. "KAGOME CAN YOU HEAR ME? KAGOME! DON'T WISH FOR ANYTHING! NOT UNTIL I GET THERE! WAIT UNTIL I'M BY YOUR SIDE! CAN YOU HEAR ME KAGOME?"

It was then that another voice carried through suffocating darkness. It was faint and far away, but it was there.

"I can hear you Inuyasha! You're close by aren't you?"

"We told you!" the demons said with amusement. "There is only one way for you two to be with each other. Kagome must wish on the jewel, and then like the fallen miko, be absorbed into this shikon no tama.

"Foolish hanyou! Because she has heard your voice, Kagome has gained some futile hope. And she will wish because of that. Inuyasha, she will want to be with you."

"No! Kagome!"

"She can no longer hear your voice."

"Kagome, where are you!" Inuyasha said, ignoring the voices of the demons as he fought through their thick numbers. "Damn it! I can't see any way out! Kagome don't wish for anything!"

A small pinprick of light suddenly shone to his left.

'Light?'

A tearing noise riped through the air as the light expanded, and Inuyasha felt the Tetsusaiga transform in his hands. It's blade became black as night and reflected the stars of the night sky. 'Mediou Tetsusaiga?'

The tearing sounded again, causing the light to shine brighter still. 'So it wants me to cut there?' Inuyasha focused his energy and pointed the blade of his father's legacy at the small opening marked by the light. "MEDIOU ZANGETSUHA!"

An opening formed at the point where his blade had struck the light, and Inuyasha fell through. Suddenly there she was, her eyes glistening with tears, as she clutched her bow to her chest, as though it was her only lifeline.

"Kagome," he whispered, relief flooding him. Because he had found her. He had saved her.

She put a hand to his chest, as though feeling if he were real. "It's not an illusion…" she choked out. "Inuyasha…I wanted to be with you!"

He pulled her to him, not caring about anything else but her. Nothing else mattered, because she was here with him now. It didn't matter that he pulled her face close to his, because he had managed to save her, like he always had and always would. And it didn't matter that he pressed his lips to hers, because he would protect her, no matter what it cost him. He would sacrifice the world, ten times over, if it meant she would be safe and happy. He would do anything.

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><p><strong>Warring States Era: Seven years two months after the well sealed.<strong>

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><p>Anything.<p>

He had said he would do anything for her. But he had never expected to have to let her go.

After he saw what he did through the well, he had started to run. He had no destination, he simply ran while mixed emotions battled inside him.

He was shocked, and a part of him wanted to believe that it had all been a dream, though he knew it wasn't. He was angry, furious even, but his anger was short lived. He should have come to expect this, she was human after all. And though he may have had human blood coursing through his veins, he could never understand the way humans thought and felt, it was just impossible. Now all he felt was a deep sorrow. He knew what he would have to do if he wanted to save Kagome, yet again.

He'd have to keep her existence a secret, he couldn't allow anyone to approach her. He knew he'd have a hard time with this, considering those who knew that Kagome would be born again one day wanted desperately to see her.

Inuyasha thought about the people who had been there the day she was sent back to her time. There was Sango, Miroku, and Kohaku, but they were human. He had already witnessed them growing older, and he knew that they could never possibly survive long enough to see Kagome enter the world. There was also Shippou, Sesshomaru, Myoga, and Rin.

About a month beforehand, Sesshomaru had taken Rin as his mate. She had now grown into quite a beautiful woman and Inuyasha saw her as a little sister, which by demon law she now was. He sometimes wondered why someone as happy and full of life like Rin would love someone as cold and emotionless as Sesshomaru.

Both Rin and Shippo had seen Kagome as a sort of mother figure, because she was just so caring. As for Myoga and Sesshomaru, they didn't think much of humans in general, so they shouldn't be too difficult. He'd find a way to hide her from the demons that lived far enough into the future to see her, he'd do it because he had to.

He'd do it because he loved her.

And she deserved a chance at a happy life.

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><p><em><strong>Review Responses:<strong>_

**KagomesDarkHeart:**LOLZ! Omg hahaha that really made me laugh. Yes Hebi, you were right, and I know I didn't make it that hard to figure out, but hey I'm still young! ^-^

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><p><em><strong>EVERYONE SAY HI TO MY NEW BETA!<strong>_

**3lue 3utterfly**_** THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!**_

_**Okay y'all so I have marching band camp from 8 in the morning until 6 at night, which is why it took a while to get this chapter up. Point is, I've still got summer reading that's due in less than two weeks, and I have hardly made a dent in it!**_

_**I'll try to update as fast as I can, but I really just HAVE to finish summer reading! And with band camp for the rest of this week and surgery on Monday, I may not get many chapters up between now and the start of school. Please forgive me but I have no choice! I MUST NOT FAIL THIS CLASS!**_

_**Gotta hate English teachers from hell.**_

_**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

_**~Lions Heart **__**獅子の心**__**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	10. Chapter 9

_**Review Responses (yeah I'm putting it at the top, deal with it.)**_

**3lue 3utterfly: LOLZ!** Thanks again for editing the chapter!

**Sailor Peach:** When I was writing this chapter, I was basically quoting the manga/anime, like I did in the first chapter. I only retold the things Inuyasha saw though, I didn't go into details of the life Kagome would have had or the argument between her and the jewel. I never knew that about meidou, I kinda just followed the way me and my friends talk when we talk about Inuyasha. It was the name of Inuyasha's attack, and it caused a sort of portal into the next life/world, I guess. Kind of hard to explain, I'm not really sure if what I thought it to be is the same as what Rumiko Takahashi thought of it as. I never really intended to go into the whole Naraku thing when I started writing, I kind of just wanted to continue the story line. I liked the way Rumiko ended it, I was just confused on why Kagome could go back after she finished high school, I mean it was a great ending, like she finished what she needed to do in her time, but there was never really an explanation to why the well chose to open then, plus I was under the impression that Naraku had wished Kagome to go back to her time. Idk, maybe it was just me! Anyway I mainly wrote this down to be like, 'here is a review to what happened and where I started to make the story my own' ya know? I realized while writing it that it was rather fast paced, and that this would not be a very good chapter, but at the time I honestly couldn't think of a better way to show some of this. Have you seen the ending to Inuyasha? Manga or Anime, although I think its easier to understand the anime (plus in the anime they kiss, which they don't do in the manga, I like the kissing better than just a hug!) If you have, exactly what happened at the end has happened, except Kagome didn't go back after three years. I guess that wasn't the best tactic to writing, ne? If I have time, I may try to figure out a way to better explain all of this, but right now I say just look at the manga to understand what happened during the fight in this chapter. Also with Naraku's wish, he never really specified his exact wish to the shikon, (and I changed his line when he said "The moment I die, that wish will be granted. The wish I made on the jewel will be used by the shikon no tama itself!" his real line was "was the wish of the shikon no tama itself!" That's point in the actual story line that I started to make it my own, by saying that, it made the characters wonder what he wished for, and with the summery I gave, I gave what naraku's wish was. I realize now how confusing that all is! Gomen! I may fix it, but right now I think I'll just have to keep it as it is, gomen! Thanks for your wonderful advice, it really makes me think about the way I write instead of me just sitting down and slinging out crap (which is kind of what I did last chapter, but I don't think I can fix that right now) all other chapters will be better, I promise! And please keep up with the advice! The stuff you have told me so far has helped me in ways you can't imagine! Arigato!

**KagomesDarkHeart:** Kami, have I told how much I love reading your reviews? Lolz they make me laugh every time I read one!

**Anonymous: **K just did ^3^

**_Anyways on to the story!_**

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><p>If you could only see<p>

Chapter Nine

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo Approx. three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>Shippo looked around his office and sighed. It wasn't very big. It wasn't even half the size of Inuyasha's office, and Sesshomaru's office was twice as big as Inuyasha's. You'd think they'd show a bit more respect to W.I.'s longest working employee, so what if he still looked like a high school kid? Had they still lived in the warring states era, he would have been considered a man ages ago, but he was still treated as the kid who just tags along.<p>

He sat down hard in his chair and his head hit the desk as he groaned from the stress of his job. He closed his eyes and began to let his mind wander, something he really shouldn't have been doing. Whenever he allowed his mind to wander, it always seemed to think about her.

'Kagome…'

He felt the tears well up in his eyes again, but he brushed them away angrily before they could do more than make his eyes a little red. Regardless of how long he had known her, he had felt as though Kagome was his mother. His own mother had been a fox demon, like himself, but she was not the strongest. In the effort she had given to give him life, she had forfeited her own. Shippo had run away when he found out. He was convinced that his father must really hate him, how could he not? It was because of him that his father had lost his mate, and to a demon, nothing is worse than losing your mate.

Shippo had run for three days. He wanted desperately to see his father, even if he did hate him for killing his mother, but he was afraid of how his father would react. But when he returned, he didn't see his father waiting with an evil glare, nor his father crouching low with open arms so as to embrace him. Instead he found his father, dead, and being used as a fur pelt.

Thoughts and worries had attacked his mind as he ran away from the Thunder Brothers.

'He died thinking you hated him, how can you live with yourself?'

'I'll bet he didn't even fight much because he was too worried about you.'

'Worried about you? You killed his mate! He was glad to ditch you and join her, now your father and mother are together, and they can hate you together now.'

That's when he came up with his plan, he would avenge his father's death, to try and ask for forgiveness from him. Then he would end his own life and face judgment for killing the one who had given him life.

But then he had found Inuyasha and Kagome traveling in search of the shikon shards. Kagome was kind and sweet and she had cared for him, even though he had just attempted to steal their shards of the jewel. Even after he caused her to get captured by the Thunder Brothers, she still tried to protect him in the battle and wanted him to come with her and Inuyasha.

All the time when they were traveling together, she had listened to his stories of his father, and she reassured him by telling him how much his father must have loved him. He had never told her, but because of what she said, he realized that his father hadn't hated him. She made him realize that a mother and father could never hate their own child, she had basically told him he thought of him as her own son.

Shippo clenched at his hair as the last memories he had of her played back over his mind.

He remembered her sheer power as she fired that last arrow at Naraku - the arrow that ended him. He remembered watching Naraku die and he remembered the horror he felt as Naraku revealed that Byakuya had succeeded in cutting Kagome. He had watched as Byakuya had stolen the power of the meidou zangetsuha and felt he knew what Naraku had wished for.

Naraku had wished for Kagome to never return.

They didn't even have time to revel in the fact that Naraku was finally dead. Just as the danger was gone and there was a chance to live peacefully, his mother had been taken from him once again.

Tears threatened to take over him again as he thought to those first few years she was sent away.

Inuyasha was affected drastically by her disappearance. Even though he had been young at the time, he could tell that Inuyasha had chosen her as a mate. When demons found their mate, they knew it, and nothing could keep them from them. But because Inuyasha was only half demon, he didn't recognize what Kagome would be to him if he showed any affection. When a demon finds his mate, he would do anything for her, and she for him. There was nothing or no one that could ever break that bond, he remembered his father telling him so.

At first, it seemed that Inuyasha would do anything just to get to her. Shippo even remembered him saying on one occasion that he would survive through the years until the point of time she was sent to. That had given Shippo hope, something to live for again. He would grow and live, so he could greet his mother when she came back to him.

And then one day…

Inuyasha gave up.

It had only been seven years, and yet the hanyou who had promised to wait forever if necessary was telling him to forget she even existed at all. But how could he? She had saved him! Given him everything when it had all been taken away, how could he just turn his back on her?

He couldn't help but wonder what had brought on the sudden change in Inuyasha. One day, he had disappeared for two months before he came strolling back in the village, as though he had never left. But something about his aura had changed, Shippo could tell. Inuyasha seemed…broken. Shippo had sensed that same broken feeling in his father whenever he talked about his mother. It was the feeling a demon got when they lost their mate forever. But try as they might, no one could get Inuyasha to say anything more than she was from another time and was never supposed to meet them. That she was in her time and she deserved her life back.

Whenever Kouga had come by looking for Kagome after that, Shippo found himself wishing he could make Inuyasha talk, but he knew that once Inuyasha set his mind to something, you'd be hard put to try and change his mind.

Shippo slammed his fists into his desk, making two sizable dents in the wood. Why didn't he understand? They were meant to be mates! Meant to be together! Mates would do anything for each other, they could overcome anything as long as they put their minds to it! How could he give up? How dare he give up! Even if they had never officially mated, Shippo knew that they were supposed to be together, any demon could have known that. And when you are separated from your mate, you might very well die of a broken heart.

But no matter how hard he tried to stress this to Inuyasha he never seemed to understand. He always said that she wasn't his to keep and she never was. He said that she'd forget all about them in time and to just let her be.

"BAKA!" Shippo shouted, standing up from his desk.

He would not let Inuyasha's stupidity hurt Kagome.

He picked up his phone and began to dial Kouga's number. He'd help Kouga track down Kagome, because if he didn't, Kagome would suffer. And this time, he would save his mother.

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><p><em><strong>K, short chapter, but they all are, ne? Do you all think i should make them longer? i can, but that means even longer waits until updates and more times skips per chapter. I've been writing short chapters like this for faster updates, but if you'd rather have longer chapters i can do that, just let me know! Thanks for always reading and reviewing!<strong>_

_**THANKS TO 3lue 3utterfly MY BETA! YOU'RE AWESOME HUN!**_

_**~Lions Heart 獅子の心 (ROAR! ^-^)**_


	11. Chapter 10

_**ITS MY BIRTHDAY! So as a present for myself…I'm posting a chapter for you!**_

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><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Chapter 10

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><p><strong>Warring States Era: Approx. 50 years after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>The sun was sinking low over the horizon, and a few stars were popping up in the quickly darkening sky. Inuyasha watched impatiently as he drummed his fingers on his knee in anticipation.<p>

'_Hurry up!'_

There would be no moon in the sky tonight, and for the first time ever, Inuyasha wanted it to come, as quickly as possible.

He took in a deep breath through his nose, inhaling the scents all around him.

'_I shouldn't be able to smell this far still…my senses are usually almost dead by now.'_

Suddenly a familiar scent drifted lazily to him. Growling he stood to his feet and faced the direction it was coming from.

'_Fucker always shows his muzzle at the worst times!'_

He gave a quick over his shoulder at the setting sun. If his theory was correct, he wouldn't have anything to worry about, but if he was wrong…

Then it would be one hell of a night.

A twister of air swirled and spun, drawing closer and closer. And with a great gust of air, the young leader of the wolf demon tribe stood before Inuyasha, teeth bared and a murderous gleam in his eye.

"Dammit, Kouga, what the hell do you want now?" Inuyasha growled.

"Same as always, dog turd. I want you to tell me where the hell my woman is! I know you know where she is, and I know you know how to get to her! So tell me before I fucking rip the answer from your filthy half-blood throat!"

"We've done this before, Kouga," Inuyasha said calmly, placing a hand on the hilt of the Tetsusaiga. "I've told you what I know, you can't get to her, she's gone. Fucking deal with it. Everyone else has. There ain't anymore to tell. You can fight me all you want, but you know I'll just wipe the floor with your ass. I always beat you Kouga, what makes this time any different?"

The corners of Kouga's mouth twisted into an evil smirk. "Cause I found out some interesting shit the other day," his mouth kept curving more into a smile. "Apparently hanyous turn human for one night, did you know that?"

Inuyasha growled low in his throat and tightened his grip on his father's fang.

"Can you imagine?" he continued, beginning to circle the dog like a wolf about to tear apart it's prey. "HUMAN, for a whole night! Weak and vulnerable, and completely defenseless."

Inuyasha pulled out his sword and pointed it at Kouga, following the circling demon with the tip of the Tetsusaiga. He glanced at the sun, it was almost about to set. He knew that Kouga wouldn't be as kind to him as he had been to Kouga. If Kouga won this fight, Inuyasha would end up dead. End of story.

He had to get rid of Kouga as quickly as he could, before the sun set, or he'd be putting his life in greater danger than he ever had before.

"I've been waiting around here for weeks, watching for the one night your blood smelt more human. Once that sun goes down, you _will_ tell me what I want to know. You don't have anyone here to save your ass; that fox shit is kami knows where and the humans are too weak to do anything to help. "

"Why do you think the humans are weak?" the dog demon countered. "We ended Naraku over 50 years ago! All of them, Kohaku, Sango, and Miroku, They've grown old, they had children, and their children grew and had children of their own! Their bodies won't carry them in this world much longer, because they're human! Kagome was human! Do you think she's still the same as she was? By now, she's lived her life and is ready for the next world, if she hasn't passed into it already. Her life wasn't meant to be lived here! It was a fluke that she came here; she was allowed to stay until she helped fix the jewel because the jewel was a part of her. The jewel sent her home when it was completed, you can ask anyone that was there and they'll tell you."

"Don't lie to me!" Kouga snarled. "There's something your not saying, I can feel it!" The distance between Kouga and the tip of the great fang was getting smaller and smaller as the circle Kouga was tracing with his footsteps spiraled slowly to meet the hanyou in the middle.

Inuyasha knew he should attack now, before he lost his chance, but pain was beginning to settle in. The transformation from hanyou to human was always a bit painful, but it had never been this bad before. His joints were aching, and his heartbeat was week and sporadic. His arms were shaking with the effort it took just to hold up his sword.

"What's wrong flea bag? You don't look so good!" Kouga sneered. He was _very_ close now. "You tell me what you've been hiding, and I wont kill you."

"There's nothing more to tell!" Inuyasha shouted, with great difficulty. His breathing was labored and shallow, and the world was spinning around his eyes.

To Kouga, Inuyasha looked like a man on his death-bed. His usual white-silver hair was dull and almost gray looking, and his eyes held no light behind them. His skin was pale and clammy and he was trembling from head to foot.

'_Easy victory,' _the prince thought.

"Fine then! We'll just have to do this the hard way."

Kouga lunged at Inuyasha, easily sidestepping the great sword and made an attempt to seize his throat, but at the same time, Inuyasha took a great, shuddering breath and collapsed to the ground. He screamed in pain as his body shook and pain shot through every cell on his body.

"Shit!" Kouga yelled at the hanyou on the ground. He didn't know what to do, were the transformations to a human always like this? Somehow, he didn't think so.

Inuyasha writhed on the ground. He had never been in such pain before. Surely, this was what it felt like to die. He felt like his very life force was being drained from him as he struggled to get some kind of control over himself, but he couldn't to anything but scream.

Kouga was entranced. Never before had the half dog demon shown any sign of pain, even with a hole in his gut. Whatever pain was making Inuyasha scream like this was far past his imagination. He felt like he should look away, but he couldn't. He stared, horrified as the hanyou's body convulsed on the ground, the Tetsusaiga lay next to him, abandoned.

Only a sliver of the sun was visible now, but it was disappearing fast. As the last traces of sunlight faded from the ground, the hanyou's heart stopped beating all together.

Inuyasha opened his mouth wide in a silent scream, and his back arched lifting his torso off the ground. His eyes closed and he fell back to the earth, and was still.

Kouga stared in shock at the body that lay before him. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Whatever had happened, wasn't supposed to. Inuyasha had looked perfectly fine before, but now the stench of death filled his nose.

Kouga walked to the still body cautiously. If he really was dead, then Kouga could never get the information he wanted from Inuyasha he needed.

"D-damn!"

He couldn't understand what had just happened. What had caused Inuyasha to suddenly drop dead like that? He supposed it had something to do with the fact that Inuyasha had been a half demon. Usually hanyous were killed before now, in fact Kouga had never even heard of another half demon living as long as Inuyasha had.

The stench of death was sickening, and he raised his arm to cover his nose, when a faint scent hit Kouga hard.

'_What…what the hell? There's n-no way!'_

The body on the ground began to pulse, a golden aura shining faintly around it. Kouga stared at the face of Inuyasha and watched as his skin got back it's color and the dull hair seemed to shine like it had just been cleaned. Finally, from behind his hair, two red stripes slowly appeared on his face, one on each cheek.

Inuyasha's eyes shot open, and they glowed bright in the dark as he gasped, filling his lungs with the cool night air.

Kouga took a step back in horror, because Inuyasha's scent had changed. He no longer smelled like a dog demon mixed with human, the human scent was completely gone. Inuyasha now had the scent of a full blooded dog demon. What was more, his aura had changed as well. The sheer power emanating from him was intimidating and frightening, and it far overpowered the wolf demon's aura.

Breathing heavily, Inuyasha slowly pushed himself up into a seated position on the ground. He was very confused, he couldn't remember what had happened. He just recalled the sensation that he was dying, but now he felt perfectly fine. In fact he felt _better_ than fine. He felt better than he had in his whole life! He felt stronger, and his senses all seemed heightened, and it was a bit overwhelming.

He looked down at a clawed hand and stared, astonished, at the claws that now looked thicker and sharper than they had before. He was even more amazed when he noticed green poison dripping from underneath them. Standing, he experimentally swung his claws in and arc at the trees, causing a whip of green light to lash out making 6 trees melt and collapse.

"Y-your…!" Kouga's eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Full demon…" Inuyasha whispered breathlessly. "I guess I was right. My human nights have been getting shorter and shorter for the last few years, I wondered if that meant my human blood was fading…"

"But how?" Kouga demanded.

"How the hell should I know?" Inuyasha snorted. He raised a hand to his face and cracked his knuckles before looking up at Kouga. "I believe you wanted information? Well I've given you all the information I know. Kagome's far away and you can't get to her. She's gone. Forget about her."

Kouga growled, rage filling him again. "How dare you! How fucking _dare_ you! You treated her like shit! Always chasing after that dead bitch and leaving her unprotected! She probably saved your ass millions of times and you don't even care! You may not give a shit about her, but I still love her!"

"Don't you DARE suggest that I don't care about Kagome!" Inuyasha's eyes began flashing red as the poison began to drip from his claws again and his aura spiked, causing his hair to blow around him as if caught in a breeze.

Kouga hadn't ever been able to beat Inuyasha when he was hanyou, and now that he was youkai, Kouga knew he had even less of a chance at beating Inuyasha.

"I loved Kagome, more than a piece of shit like you could ever under stand!" Inuyasha snarled. "That's why I gave up. You were right, I did treat her like shit, and I regret that everyday. This is my way of apologizing for it. I'm letting her have her life back. You should give up too, Kouga. Find some wolf demon and let her bear your pups, because Kagome is back where she belongs."

Kouga slumped his shoulders in defeat. "But…Kagome…" He clenched his fists together and screwed his eyes shut.

"I'm s-sorry, Kouga."

Kouga looked up at the stutter in Inuyasha's voice, and saw a tear roll down his cheek as he stared at the stars blinking in the sky.

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><p><em><strong>Okay, so apparently your not supposed to put review responses in the chapters…oops. Gomen! Didn't know! I'll just send them in messages from now on!<strong>_

_**Haven't had this beta'd yet…I wanted to post it on my birthday ^-^ I'll get it beta'd and fix it later, Gomen. ^.^**_

_**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!**_

_**~Lions Heart**_ 獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	12. Chapter 11

If You Could Only See

Chapter 11

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo; Approx 3 years, six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>Shippo stared up at the building across the street from where he was standing. He saw students pouring in from all directions, the boy's wearing their black on black suit, and the girls wearing green skirts with white blouses and a red tie.<p>

He recognized the uniforms immediately; they were the same clothes Kagome had usually worn. His heart beat sped up and he frantically searched the faces in the crowd, hoping to catch a glance of a familiar face, but his mother was nowhere to be seen.

For a sickening moment, Shippo worried that he had maybe forgotten her face after all the years apart, but he pushed down his fears as quickly as the rose. He couldn't ever forget her face, or her scent for that matter. Her scent had always calmed him and made him feel safe and warm, and it was unique, there was nothing else like it in the world. When he found Kagome, he would smell it, his nose wouldn't lie.

Kouga had told him about this school the other day, apparently it was a middle school. Kouga had noticed that he was being watched ever since he confronted Inuyasha, and figured that he wouldn't be able to get close to Kagome without Inuyasha halting him in his tracks, but Shippo was a different story. While it had been obvious that Shippo always wanted to get to Kagome, Kouga didn't think that Inuyasha would think Shippo capable of getting this close to finding her, which was why he sent the fox demon to investigate the school instead of going himself.

Shippo had been a bit hesitant to go behind Inuyasha's back like that, but he knew it was the only way to save his mother.

The plan was for him to scope out the girls that entered the building and to check the area for her scent. If he didn't find anything, he was to ask the office for her records. They had to be prepared for anything, even the possibility that she hadn't even entered the middle school yet.

Only a few students were still making their way into the building now, last minute stragglers. Shippo's keen ears picked up on the ringing of the bells and he knew that the school day had officially started. He waited a few minutes before heading across the street and approaching the building. Walking through the front doors he spotted the office and walked over to it, anxiety eating him alive.

He entered the office and stepped up to the woman working the from desk.

"Excuse me, but I was wondering if you might be able to help me with something?" he asked politely as he could.

Looking up from her computer screen, the middle aged woman smiled and said, "I can sure try, what might I do for you today? You aren't enrolling, are you? You look a bit old for this place!" she chuckled good naturedly.

"Oh, no, I'm homeschooled," He said, smiling lightly. "I was actually looking for my moth-…I mean cousin. I haven't seen her in a while, and I think she was enrolled here last time I checked. I was just wondering if you could tell me whether she still went to school here or not?"

"Well, it all depends, hun," the woman said, a slight frown on her face. "Do you have a name for your cousin?"

"Just a first, her name's Kagome…sorry but I don't remember her last name."

"That's okay, hun. That's a pretty unique name, it shouldn't be too hard to find her if she's in our system."

Shippo smiling, hope shining in him like a light. He just might actually find his mother before the end of the day!

"Hm, we don't have anyone named 'Kagome' currently enrolled here," Shippo's heart sank. She wasn't here after all. "But we did have one a few years back.

His head snapped up and he looked at the receptionist again.

"Unfortunately, we aren't allowed to release any information without proof of kinsman-ship. Sorry hun," she said apologetically.

"It's alright," Shippo said excitedly, "but do you think you could at least give me her last name?"

The receptionist looked at the young man for a moment before giving him a small smile. "Well, I sure don't see why not. It says here that her last name is Higurashi. Would you like me to write that down for you?"

Shippo nodded his head eagerly, and the receptionist began to write on a sticky note.

Higurashi. Kagome, Higurashi. Somehow that sounded just like Kagome to him. This was huge, he knew Kouga would be able to find Kagome with this little piece of information, and Shippo truly felt like he was a step closer to finally seeing his mother again.

The woman handed him the sticky note and he looked at it with a reverence. Glowing with happiness, he looked up once again at the receptionist and muttered a breathless, "Thank you," and dashed out of the office.

Unfortunately for him, in his excitement of the moment, Shippo had failed to notice a faint demonic aura in the office. The woman who worked as the secretary for the receptionist had been listening intently on the conversation that had just been exchanged.

She got to her feet, and quietly excused herself to the restroom. Once in the solitude of the hallway, the demon in disguise pulled out a cell phone and quickly dialed. On the third ring, the other line picked up.

"Mr. Tashio, sir, I think you may have a problem."

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><p><strong><em>The hunt is on...<em>**

**_~Lions Heart _**獅子の心**_ (ROAR! ^-^)_**


	13. Chapter 12

_**Okay, good news, I mapped out the story up through Chapter 22, so it shouldn't take long to write those chapters. This fic is going to be a bit longer than I originally thought it would, haha.**_

* * *

><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Chapter 12

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. 3 years, six months since the well closed.<strong>

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><p>The little girl lay sleeping in her crib, blissfully unaware of the world growing and changing around her. Rin looked at her sleeping daughter, and realized that this really was her little girl. After the years of trying to conceive a child, and the months of anticipation as she grew inside her womb, the reality that this child was hers to protect and love had never been really real, but now, seeing her safe and asleep in her crib, Rin felt love in her heart that only a mother could have.<p>

But with that love came worry. This child was perfect, innocent and pure, and they lived in a corrupted and evil world. Gone were the days when she could have taken up little Rei and set out in the country with her lord leading the way. Rin very afraid for her daughter, for her daughter was hanyou.

Hanyous were very rare, even after the hostilities towards them were toned down considerably. Hanyous used to be hunted and killed, they were seen as nothing more than a stain on the earth, and were treated like the lowliest of creatures. Unlike youkai, hanyous aged at the same pace as humans until around fifteen or sixteen years of age. This was surely an attempt of the kamis to give hanyous a better chance of survival, but even with the advantage, hanyous rarely ever reached the age when they stopped growing at a human rate. In fact, Rin knew of only three hanyous surviving that long before all demons went into hiding. Shiori, Jinenji, and, of course, Inuyasha.

Inuyasha had been the oldest hanyou alive, so no one knew how long he would live or if he would live until he was killed like a youkai. Everyone was shocked and amazed when Inuyasha's human blood faded from him completely. No one had a clue as to why this occurred, but Myoga speculated that it was because of the mortality of Inuyasha's human blood. Throughout his whole life, Inuyasha's demon and human blood battled for dominance over one another, but his human blood was mortal, as all things human are.

Myoga guessed that Inuyasha's mortal human blood was slowly dying, and as the human blood died, the demon blood replaced it. But that didn't explain the intense pain Inuyasha felt as his human blood faded completely. Again, Myoga had no real answer, but guessed that because Inuyasha was being threatened by Kouga, his demon blood panicked and attacked the remaining human blood, in order to save itself. This seemed most likely, especially when Jinenji's human nights ended without any sign of pain at all.

Since the demons went into hiding, hanyous became less frequent, and the demons were less hostile towards them, but there was still prejudice against them. Even without human blood, Inuyasha was still looked down upon by many demons. Rin feared for her daughter, plagued by her heritage, unable to do a thing about it.

What would it be like growing up for Rei? She would grow faster than other demon children, and humans weren't allowed to know about demons. Others would always see her as different, no matter what. She would most likely face all sorts of hardships, and there was nothing Rin could do about it.

Rin gazed at her sleeping daughter and wished that time could freeze for her there, were she was innocent and knew nothing of the world's evil, where she was safe and happy. A tear trickled from the corner of Rin's eye and rolled silently down her cheek.

"Rin," came Sesshomaru's deep voice from behind her. She felt strong arms wrap around her waist and she turned to burry her head in his shoulder. She let the tears roll for her daughter, and clutched at the man she loved with all her heart.

"What troubles you, tell me and I shall kill it for you."

Rin gave a shaky laugh. "Gomen, its just…I'm afraid."

Sesshomaru tightened his grip on his mate. "Do you have such little faith in me? I'll never let anything harm you, Rin."

"Not for me," she said, pushing back a bit to look into his face. "Rei. She's hanyou Sesshomaru. People will always look down on her. You know how demons will see her."

Sesshomaru stiffened a bit. He knew what she was referring to. She was referring to the time when he had been intent on killing Inuyasha.

"The world is a different place now then it was back then, Rin. I despised my brother, but not for being hanyou. I blamed him for the death of my father. He was just a pup when father died, and I couldn't find it in myself to kill a pup. When he got older however…he was just a pain in the ass. I threatened to kill him many times, but I never actually went through with it. As a brother, it was my duty to protect him, but I put my grudge against him before that. This Sesshomaru will not make that mistake again. I will kill _anyone_ who dares lay a finger on my child. She is perfect, and those who do not realize it are not worthy of living."

Rin's gaze locked on her daughter. Despite her mate's reassurance, she knew that her daughter would never fully escape the hate the world would see her with. She dried her eyes with the back of her hand and leaned back into the arms of her beloved. "It will never be easy for her," she whispered.

Sesshomaru did not reply, but secured his arms tighter around her and rested his chin atop her head as he too gazed on his daughter, that miracle of life.

The stood in silence for what seemed like ages before Rin spoke again.

"Did you find anything about the composer of my song?"

"Hai," he replied softly, so as not to wake the sleeping child. "But it's late, mate. I'll show you in the morning.

Rin nodded, still unwilling to take her eyes off Rei. Sesshomaru scooped her up in his strong arms and carried her sleepy form to bed.

"Arigato, Sesshomaru-sama," she whispered, a slight smile on her face.

Sesshomaru place a kiss on her forehead, and laid them both down in the bed, never breaking their embrace.

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><p><em><strong>Thanks for all the reviews guys! I'm trying to respond to them in a message, but I can't do that with anonymous reviewers!<strong>_

**Sailor Peach**- your reviews are awesome! Just wanted to say that. Also I hope that answers your questions about Inuyasha's demon blood, I didn't think Inuyasha would really understand it at first which is why I chose to explain it later. Thanks for the reviews!

_**Okay…that's all for now. Leave a little review, if you've got the time!**_

_**~Lions Heart**_ 獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	14. Chapter 13

_**Unlucky number thirteen…O.o**_

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><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Chapter 13

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx three years, six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>He was furious. No, furious wasn't a strong enough word. Enraged, maybe…no, but in the ball park. Inuyasha had never been this angry in his entire life.<p>

Not but thirty minutes ago, he had received a call from the demon he had placed at Kagome's old middle school. She said that a demon had come by and had been asking questions about Kagome. Thinking it had been Kouga, he was confidant that he wouldn't get information. He had gone by the office himself and given a picture of Kouga to the woman who worked as a receptionist, warning her of giving him any information. So he was shocked when his spy told him that the demon was able to acquire her last name.

He couldn't make any sense of it! How had Kouga managed to get anything from the school? The spy, however, told him that it hadn't been Kouga that had gone to the office. _"The demon looked like a human highschool kid, and he had bright orange hair. Looked like a fox demon to me."_

"Dammit Shippo!" Inuyasha screamed, kicking his desk as he paced around his office.

Shippo must be helping Kouga, there's no way he would have found the middle school on his own. It was all the way on the other side of town, and Shippo hardly ever left the ten block radius surrounding the W.I. building. He should have been expecting it! The git always pushed him to go after Kagome, making it that much harder to stay away. And with the two demons working together, Kagome was at a greater risk of being found.

They had a last name. They'd find her in no time, unless he could do something about it.

Why couldn't they all understand? Why were they so intent on hurting Kagome like this?

Inuyasha swore softly under his breath as he weighed his options. He could always threaten them, but he'd never be able to follow through with it. He could have the wolf shit beat up, no problem, wouldn't be a stain on his conscious, but he could never do that to Shippo. Shippo was the first family he had ever had, besides Kagome.

Maybe he could use his connections to move Kagome and her family to another place, somewhere far away…no no, that wouldn't work. Their livelihood is off that shrine, and its not like he could move the whole thing.

The only other option he could think of was explain to them just _why_ Kagome needed to be left alone. He didn't want to, kami knows, he'd rather do _anything_ than relive that day, 500 years ago. He also didn't want Shippo and the others to be hurt like that. The information would hurt them as much as it hurt him, that was sure. Kami, he didn't want to do that!

If he could just convince Shippo to give up, then maybe he could spare the others.

The intercom on his desk crackled to life, and the voice of Inuyasha's secretary sounded through the room. "Mr. Tashio, Shippo just arrived and is heading towards his office now, sir."

Inuyasha sped out of his office, giving a grunt and a nod of his head, indicating thanks to his secretary, before hurtling down the hallways towards Shippos' office.

Without knocking, he burst through the door to see Shippo holding the phone to his ear with a hand on the dialer. Shippo had a huge grin on his face, a grin that quickly disappeared at the sight of the flustered and angry youkai.

"Ah…Yo," he said nervously, slowly putting now the receiver. "Did you need something?"

"What the hell Shippo?" Inuyasha snarled, glaring at Shippo's terrified face.

"W-what are you…"

"Don't give me any of your shit! I know where you were today, asshole!"

Shippo's face visibly paled. "I-I d-don't know - "

"Why can't you people just fucking understand?" Inuyasha cut him off. "Why are you all so intent on hurting her?"

"_Hurting _her?" Shippo asked, incredulously. "_HURTING _her? We're trying to _save_ her, Inuyasha! You fucking gave up on her, when she gave us everything! She could be worried sick about us all right now, and you don't even care!"

"OF COURSE I CARE BASTARD! YOU JUST DON'T FUCKING UNDERSTAND!" Inuyasha's face was red now, and he was screaming far louder than was necessary. But he had to get his point across, once and for all, right now.

"DON'T TELL ME THAT SHIT! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO ISN'T GETTING THE WHOLE PICTURE! FOR KAMI KNOW _WHAT_ FUCKING REASON, YOU'RE REFUSING TO BELIEVE THAT KAGOME WAS MEANT TO BE YOUR MATE! YOU LOVED HER, AND SHE LOVED YOU! DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MATES ARE SEPARATED? BECAUSE I SAW IT, FIRST HAND! WHEN MY MOTHER DIED, MY FATHER WAS HEARTBROKEN! HE WAS ILL ALL THE TIME! HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIGHT OFF THE THUNDERBROTHERS THAT DAY, BUT HE COULDN'T BECAUSE THE ONE HE LOVED WAS DEAD! KAGOME COULD BE SICK AND DYING, INUYASHA! WE _HAVE_ TO FIND HER, TO SAVE HER!"

"Quit saying that!" Inuyasha hissed, pain visible through every inch of his body. "She's not my…she never…"

"Don't you DARE tell me that she didn't love you, Inuyasha, because I know she did!" Shippo growled, stepping up and yelling in the inu youkai's face. "You loved her, and she loved you! But you gave up! After only seven fucking years! How could you betray her like that?"

"I'm not betraying her, I'm saving her! She's not my mate, she never was!"

"BAKA!" Shippo screamed, face turning red again. "Everyone else saw it! Even Kouga suspected it, but he's so hard headed that he pushed past it. Why are you so determined to not accept it?"

"Urusai! You didn't…you didn't see what I saw that day! If you did…you wouldn't be questioning me now." Inuyasha stood tall in front of the fox demon. Shippo looked at him, and for the first time saw not the hanyou who had chased him around and hit him smartly on the head. He saw a different man. The man who had suffered ten men's hardships and come out on the other side, hardened. "You don't know…" his voice trailed off, and Shippo was shocked to see tears shining in the youkai's eyes.

Inuyasha collapsed in a chair and stared off into space, no longer seeing with his eyes.

"Seven years after the well first closed," he began, tears still threatening to take over. "I smelled her scent on the air. I ran to the well…and I jumped through it."

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><p><em><strong>Yesss I'm ending it there, mwah haha. Next chap is gonna be goood. I'm excited for it ^-^<strong>_

_**~Lions Heart**_ 獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	15. Chapter 14

_**Okay, I hope y'all aren't disappointed in the big secret…I'm making it as dramatic as possible, but lil couz figured it out on like the second chapter and I was like, ah crap, there goes my suspenseful story. Ah well. Hope you enjoy.**_

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><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Chapter 14

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><p><strong>Warring States Era: Seven years after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>Once every three days. For the past seven years, he had come to this well once, at least every three days. More often than not, it was more frequent than three days, but he could never seem to keep himself away for longer than that.<p>

Inuyasha raced to the well. He couldn't shake that feeling that something would be different today. But how many times had he felt that way and had only been met with bitter disappointment? Still, something about that feeling was different today, it was stronger, and it made his heart beat faster with anticipation.

When he saw the well, he stopped dead in his tracks, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. Never before had the well shown any indication that it would grant him his heart's desire, why should it today? He was almost afraid to look. If he looked, and she wasn't on the other side, his hopes would be crushed, for a while at least. But if he just left now, he could still hold onto his hope a little longer.

But he couldn't leave, not if there was even the slightest chance, he couldn't risk it.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew, bringing an all too familiars scent into Inuyasha's remarkable nose. It was _her_ scent, no mistaking it, strong and clear. Within an instant he closed the gap between him and well and leaned over far into it, and at the bottom, he saw the smallest traces of the blue light he had once associated with time travel.

He didn't even think, he just let himself fall into the well, headfirst, excitement threatening to eat him alive. This was it! He was finally going to see her!

At long last, the blue light faded and he landed, not too gracefully, at the bottom of the well. He looked up, and saw that wood ceiling covered the sky. Her scent was clouding his senses, making it hard to concentrate, but he managed to jump out of the well.

He rushed to the door of the well house, and had a hand on the door, when he heard someone on the shrine grounds. Someone he hadn't heard before.

It sounded like…like a little boy, playing. But shouldn't Kagome's brother be much older by now?

He opened the door, just a crack, and stared out at the small human boy, who was running around, headed in the direction of the well. His hair was dark as night, and he looked young, maybe two or three. His ears looked a bit big for someone so small.

"Takao! Where are you?"

That voice...it made his head spin to hear it again. His eyes snapped from the child to the woman who was now walking to the child. She was beautiful. Time had only increased the beauty she already held. Her long raven black hair stopped at mid-back and flowed around her shoulders like a silken waterfall. Her blue-grey eyes sparkled from even this distance, and she looked older and more mature. Something about her almost made him feel inferior. Here she was, older and wiser, and he was still the same as he was seven years ago when they last met.

"Takao! How many times have I said it? I don't want you playing this far from the house by yourself! Dangerous things can happen!"

She scooped the boy up in his arms and planted a kiss on his cheek. Who was he? Why was Kagome taking care of a child?

Then the boy spoke up. "But Mama! I want Papa!"

Inuyasha's blood ran cold. Mama…that boy, called her his mother. But…but surely not! She couldn't have forgotten him so quickly…could she?

"Papa had to work late tonight, remember? But he'll be home before you know it!"

The world seemed to disappear from him as the realization hit him. That little boy, was Kagome's child. Kagome's child, and another man's child. She hadn't waited on him. She had moved on, and found another, someone better, someone who had given her a child.

Someone human and whole.

Darkness clouded his vision, but he wouldn't collapse, not here. He couldn't stand to be here any longer. She hadn't waited, she had moved on…

And she looked happier than he had ever seen her in his life.

He stumbled backwards and clutched at the well for support. She didn't love him, after only seven years, no, less than seven years, she had forgotten him, and replaced him with someone who was whole, not half.

He felt as if he was going to be sick. All that hope, all that waiting, and she didn't even love him.

His head was spinning, but somewhere in the back of his mind he could still hear her voice, talking to her child. But he couldn't discern the words.

This betrayal was worse, far worse than that of Kikyo. But was it really betrayal? Had she ever actually loved him? He always felt the attraction to him she held, it was obvious, but there is a difference between attraction and love. Did she ever really love him? He loved her, he loved her, even when Kikyo was resurrected. But he had never told her, never let her know how he felt. He hadn't known how little time he would have with her. He had never seen a point in the future when she wasn't there with him, arguing over stupid things and sitting him for hitting Shippo. Had he known, if he had any idea that his time with her was limited so much, he wouldn't have wasted so much time! He would of told her that he loved her!

Then maybe she would have loved him back. Maybe she would have waited for him.

But he hadn't told her, and she didn't love him back. She hadn't waited. She had moved on.

His throat was closing, he couldn't breath. Kagome's scent was so strong and it overwhelmed him. He couldn't take it anymore.

He turned away from the sound of her voice, and jumped back through the well, one last time.

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><p><em><strong>Okay…so, your not disappointed are you? I mean…can you kind of understand Inu's points now? How could he take Kagome away from her future with a child and a happy life? How could he take Kagome for himself, knowing that he would be terminating that innocent child's life? Plus there's the whole prejudice against hanyous still, so Kagome would be looked down upon by the rest of the demonic community for being with him. So now you know why Inuyasha won't go to Kagome. If only he had told her how he felt, ne?<strong>_

_**WHOO 40 REVIEWS! LETS MAKE IT 50 B4 THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**~Lions Heart (ROAR! ^-^)**_


	16. Chapter 15

_**WOOT WOOT OMG 50 REVIEWS! THANK YOU ALL SOOOOO MUCH!**_

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><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Chapter 15

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>"Seven years after the well first closed," he began, tears still threatening to take over. "I smelled her scent on the air. I ran to the well, and jumped through it."<p>

Shippo stared at Inuyasha. His face was calm and collected, but his eyes were gone. Inuyasha wasn't in the office with Shippo anymore, he was reliving that day, 500 years ago, that day that changed everything.

"The blue light was shining, and I was traveling forward in time, I was going to finally see _her_. When I landed, I was there, in her time. I couldn't believe it. After seven years, the well finally led me to her. I jumped out of the well, and saw a little human kid playing around the house. Then, _she_ came out of the house, and, kami, she looked beautiful. I was so excited to see her, I couldn't even make my feet move. She walked over to the kid, and he…that kid, he…called her his mother."

It was like someone hit Shippo in the head with a ton of bricks. No, no, that was wrong. It had to be wrong. Kagome couldn't have forgotten Inuyasha like that! She was his…his mate…

"I didn't want to believe it, but it was true. She had a child. And when I looked at her eyes…I could tell she was happy, far happier than she had ever been before." Tears sparkled in his eyes, before he screwed them shut in grief. "If I had only TOLD HER!" he shouted, standing up and swinging a kick at the desk. His aura emanated anger, rage, and despair. "I wasted so much time! There were so many moments when I could have told her, that I almost did tell her! I didn't know if she loved me back or not, but rejection would have been better than this!" Inuyasha was shaking, and he clenched his fists in attempt to gain some control. "I wanted her to be with me. A part of me told me to wait until she traveled through the well that last time, and be with her then, but how could I? Knowing how happy she would be if I just left her alone, happy with a human husband and a human child…I couldn't take that away from her. She had given me everything. She freed me from the Goshinboku, she gave me friendship and taught me how to live again. How could I be so selfish, and take the one thing that brought her true happiness away from her? That's why we can't go to her Shippo. Because if we do, she wont have that happy ending she deserves."

Shippo was stunned. There had to be a mistake! Kagome _had_ loved Inuyasha! He couldn't believe she would forget about him so quickly, it just wasn't possible!

"No!" Shippo said, loudly. "No! That's…its not…she can't have…she loved you! I…I could feel it! She wouldn't do that! It…it had to be a mistake, you must of heard wrong!"

"I didn't fucking hear wrong!" He snarled. "I know what I saw that day, Kagome will settle down with some perfect piece of shit human and have a kid, and she'll be fucking happy. She'll be…fucking happy." His voice cracked on the last sentence, and he hung his head.

Shippo's mind was whirring. This couldn't be it! He couldn't live knowing that he'd never see his mother again. So what if Inuyasha missed his chance with her? She still cared about them all!

"Even if that's true, we still have to see her!" Shippo practically screamed. "We have to find her and let her know that we're all right!"

Inuyasha growled low in his throat and his aura spiked again. Even with the golden locket on, his eyes still flashed red. "GIVE UP, SHIPPO! YOUR AREN'T HER SON!"

He said it out of anger. He said it because he wanted someone else to feel the pain he felt. But he regretted it the instant those words passed his lips.

Shippo was stunned, and for a moment he stood, staring at Inuyasha. His eyes filled to the brim with tears.

"Shippo…I…I didn't mean that. I –"

But Shippo turned on his heel and fled the office.

Tears fell thick and fast from his eyes as he tore down the hallways. This was just like when he returned to his father, only to find him dead. It was that same feeling. All these years of hope and anticipation, just waiting for her, only to get so close and to have reality thrust upon him.

He wasn't really Kagome's son. He never had been. He thought of her as a mother and treated her like one, and out of the kindness of her heart, she had accepted him and given him the love he craved. But now…Kagome would have her own son, her real son. He almost felt as if he was being replaced, but you can't replace something fake with something real.

He raced into the parking deck and found Inuyasha's car. He was angry at him. He knew his anger wasn't justified, Inuyasha had only spoke the truth, but his boiling blood demanded that he take some sort of retribution to the dark place his words had sent him.

He reached through the open window and pulled out the spare keys he knew Inuyasha kept under the dashboard, got in the car, and cranked it up. As soon as the car started, the radio came on, and the melody playing made Shippo stop.

It was a piano solo. It started out sad and soft, but grew into a loving melody that captured his mind as he listened. The song seemed to be whispering things, things a mother might have said to her child. _Everything will get better, it'll be all right. _It reminded him of what it felt like to be held by his adopted mother, and tears fell from his eyes again.

This song told a lie. Everything would not get better. It would not be all right. It wouldn't, because he didn't have a father to protect him, he didn't have a mother to hold him and tell him he was loved. He was all on his own.

And he was scared.

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><p><em><strong>If your wondering what the song sounds like…its similar to Shippo's Theme from the anime…but not as bouncy. Its played much more legato (smoothly) and its not so choppy. Kinda hard to explain, but I can't really come to you and play it for you on the piano, -_-. <strong>_

_**Thanks for all your reviews! I love them all, they really make my day!**_

_**~Lions Heart**_ 獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	17. Chapter 16

_**IMOPORTANT! Okay, so for those of you who want to hear the song Shippo heard on the radio, copy this link and erase the spaces! Hope you enjoy! I wrote it yesterday, so its still pretty new to me…hence all the mistakes, but it's the best I can do right now so…gomen!**_

http : / www . youtube . com / watch ?v=gPLzE3dV7yA

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><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Chapter 16

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>Kouga glanced at the phone again, as if glaring at it would make it ring. Shippo should have called hours ago, his mission was to find information and report back, there shouldn't have been any complications.<p>

Kouga paced impatiently around the hotel room he had booked. It was located right in the middle of Tokyo, so no matter where Kagome was, he was somewhat close.

He fingered the leather band he wore around his wrist that acted as his concealment charm. It irritated him to be forced into hiding like this. It was uncomfortable to have these human traits all the time. He ripped the band off and unleashed his demonic features. His eyes turned to a piercing, electric blue, his ears lengthened and became pointed at the end, and a wolf tale unfurled itself from the base of his back and protruded from his shirt.

He drummed a clawed hand on the table as he stared at the phone, waiting for that damn kit to call him.

Growling, he lost all patience and picked up the phone, dialing Shippo's number.

It rang, and rang, and rang, until finally a soft voice came in from the other line.

"Hello?"

"Shippo! What the hell happened? You were supposed to call back as soon as you got out of there!"

"Kouga?"

"No moron! I'm the fucking plumber! Yes Kouga who else would it be?"

"…Kami, Kouga, can you call back later? I can't…I can't deal with this right now."

A growl sounded, low and dangerous, in the back of Kouga's throat. "What did you say to me? Why the hell not?"

"Kouga…I don't think we should be doing this anymore."

"YOU LET THAT BASTARD GET TO YOU, DIDN'T YOU!" Kouga roared.

"Kouga…you…you don't understand…" Shippo sounded on the verge of tears. But that didn't faze Kouga.

"DON'T UNDERSTAND MY ASS! YOU'VE ALL LOST YOUR FUCKING MINDS! MY WOMAN IS OUT THERE SOMEWHERE AND I'LL BE DAMNED IF I LET YOU OR ANY OTHER FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT KEEP ME FROM HER!" Kouga slammed the receiver down and upturned the table, sending it and all it's contents to the floor.

He walked around the hotel room in a rage. Why was he the only sane person in the world? What in kami's name did he do to deserve this torture? It wasn't fair! He was going to find his woman, Shippo and Inuyasha be damned!

This wasn't just a quest to find Kagome anymore, no. This was much, much more now. He had been insulted and made a fool of. Now this was a challenge, a challenge to find her.

And it was a challenge he accepted.

犬夜叉

It was near the end of the day, and the W.I. building was almost empty. Kouga walked down the hallways quietly, so as not to attract any unwanted attention.

He knew that the mutt must have _some_ information on Kagome, he just had to find it.

Kouga met no one in the hallways as he made his way quietly to Inuyasha's office. Suddenly, the wolf, could hear approaching footsteps, and he dashed through the nearest door. He spotted Inuyasha's secretary walking past, on her way home. Kouga gave a satisfied smirk. It was still a little early for it to be quitting time, so if his secretary was leaving, that must mean that Inuyasha wasn't there. Things just got a whole lot simpler.

Kouga went back through the door and dashed down the hallway to the inu youkai's office. Picking the lock with one long claw, he pushed open the door and stepped inside Inuyasha's office. The mahogany desk sat alone on the far side of the office, and a computer rested on top. Kouga went to the desk and sat down, shaking the mouse to wake the computer up.

Kouga began to search the computer for any files that may concern Kagome. He looked through all of the files and documents he could find, but there was nothing about the woman he had longed to see for 500 years.

"Dammit." He swore softly, sitting back in the chair as he continued to stare at the screen. There wasn't a single file on that computer on Kagome, not one! Kouga raised his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing in little circles. There had to be _something_!

He pulled up the computer's history, and scrolled down the list, looking for anything suspicious. One thing popped out at him, it was a website, one that Inuyasha apparently spent a lot of time looking at.

Kouga pulled up the internet and typed in the link to the website. A page came up with big bold letters that read, "Higurashi Shrine". Kouga scanned the sight, looking at different things about it. It was apparently most famous for the Goshinboku that was on it's grounds, and it specialized in the legend of the shikon no tama.

His heart skipped a beat in his chest. The shrine specialized in the shikon…and the Goshinboku…that tree was the tree that Inuyasha had been pinned to for 50 years. That tree had been near that little village Kagome had always stayed at. And this shrine, the one that told the story of the jewel, the story that he was apart of, was located right by that tree.

There was no doubt in Kouga's mind. There was no way all of it was a coinsidence. This shrine, the Higurashi Shrine, had something to do with Kagome, he knew it. He quickly looked up the business hours for the shrine before closing out the page and turning the computer back off.

He left the office like a thief, leaving no evidence of his invastion behind him. He quickly made his way back through the W.I. building and out onto the street.

Tomorrow, he would go to that shrine. He was so close to her now, he could almost smell her glorious scent. He was so close…

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><p><em><strong>Choppie chapter…sorry. Not one of the best, mostly filler. Needed information to keep the plot moving. <strong>_

_**Thanks for all your reviews! I always wake up to two or three and they just make my day so much freaking better :) thanks y'all!**_

_**~Lions Heart (ROAR! ^-^)**_


	18. Chapter 17

If You Could Only See

Chapter 17

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>Rei was staring up at her father with wide, bright golden eyes. Sesshomaru handled the fragile child with immense care as he gently bathed her with a soft wet towel. He ran a single finger down the side of her face, admiring the softness of her skin, and was rewarded when the little girl smiled up at him, cooing softly.<p>

He picked up the little girl and handed her to her mother, who was waiting with a dry towel. He watched as his mate dressed his pup, and couldn't help the sense of pride he felt as he stared at his family.

"We'll have to get her a concealment charm made," Rin began as she dressed Rei, "if we want to send her to a human school. Of course she'll have to understand that she can't tell any other children…"

"You think too far ahead. Rei will not be school age for a while yet," he said, amused.

"I know," she sighed, "I'm just anxious, I guess."

He took the sleepy child from his mate's arms and carried her to the crib. Laying her down gently, he pressed his lips to her forehead before leading Rin out of the room quietly.

"Come, I have found as much as I could about the composer of your song."

He smirked as Rin gave a gasp of delight and began to lead _him_ to the home office. She sat down in the big chair behind the desk and waited as Sesshomaru pulled up a web page and stepped back to give her a better view.

Rin's eyes stared hungrily at the computer screen.

"Are these all really by the same composer of my song?" she asked, with great enthusiasm.

"Hai," Sesshomaru said to her, his arms crossed against his chest as he stared over his mate's shoulder at the screen.

On the screen was a list on links to all the different songs the anonymous composer had writing and published. There were four, _Tragic Soul, Loyal Pack, A Mother's Son, _and of course _Rin's Theme._

"All of these names…" Rin pondered, "…they all remind me of when I was a little girl…"

"Hn," Sesshomaru put a hand on her shoulder and leaned down so as to get a better look at the screen.

Rin clicked on the first link and the song began to play. Like _Rin's Theme_, _Tragic Soul_ was a piano solo. It was sad, it floated around the room with a certain grace, and it left in the air a strong sense of melancholy. Something about the song triggered a faint memory in Rin, but she couldn't place it. She thought back to the name of the song, and tried to make the connection. Tragic soul…

'_Doomed to walk the earth, tracing the steps she had once taken; my poor sister truly was a tragic soul…' _the words of Kaede floated back from Rin's memories.

"Of course!" Rin suddenly said aloud. "When I stayed at the human village with Kaede those few years, she told me about everything that I had been too young to understand at the time! She told me about her sister, the priestess who came back from the dead, Lady Kikyo!" She looked up excitedly into Sesshomaru's face. "This song, it's like her! Lady Kaede always called her a tragic soul!"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed a fraction as he continued to stare at the screen. He too had seen the image of the dead priestess, garbed in white on red, as the song played. He took the mouse and clicked on the second link, _Loyal Pack_.

This song was like a fanfare. It was wild and dangerous, and Rin was instantly reminded of the wolf. A shudder ran through her body. She had always feared wolves, and though she liked Kouga and the other wolf demons as much as any other demon, she always preferred to be well away from them. Getting mauled by wolves isn't something you forget easily.

Sesshomaru saw Rin's shudder, and knew without words that she had been thinking of the wolf demons as well. Without any discussion, he played the next track, _A Mother's Son._

The song was sad at first, but soon it grew into a beautiful melody. As soon as it began playing, Rin recognized the raw emotion behind the song. The song spoke of love, the kind of love that only a mother could understand. What was more, the melody reminded her of a certain kitsune, who she had always seen as a little brother. Who had bright orange hair, and vivid green eyes. Who had seen his mother in a miko, a miko that had been sucked into a meidou and disappeared from their lives forever.

"Shippo…" Rin said in wonder as the song progressed. This song was written for him, there was no way it wasn't true. Somehow, she knew it with all her heart.

These songs…they all had something to do with her past, their past. It wasn't a coincidence, it couldn't be. The person who had written these songs knew the people Rin thought of as she listened to their hauntingly familiar melodies. After hearing the second song, she had begun to wonder, but it was just a seed of an idea, planted deep within her head. But with the last song she heard, it was no longer just a seed. It was like the sun had shone down on the seedling, and overnight it grew into a towering oak tree.

Rin's eyes sparkled with tears as the song ended, and her eyes met the eyes that belonged to her mate. "Kagome…" she whispered. "Kagome…she wrote this, she must have. These songs…they're about our story. Oh kami, Kagome's here somewhere! Oh Kami! We have to find her! We have to tell Inuyasha!" Rin stood to her feet and started towards the door, but stopped when Sesshomaru laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I will stay here to watch Rei. You go to Inuyasha and tell him what you think, but keep this in mind, Rin. Inuyasha has been keeping something from us, it does not concern me or my family, or I would have extracted the information years ago. But whatever he is hiding is what keeps him from chasing the miko. He is stubborn and brash, and hates to listen to reason or rational thought. You may not get through to him."

Her eyes still shinned with tears, but a look of great determination was set deep in them. "I at least have to try."

Sesshomaru pulled her close to him. He was quite a bit taller than her, so this action made her tilt her head all the way up, and his all the way down, so that they could look in each other's eyes. He captured her lips with his, telling her in a way words couldn't how much he loved her, for now, forever, and for always.

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><p><em><strong>Okay! Songs are (in order of listing) 'Tragic Soul' is Kikyo's Theme. 'Loyal Pack' is Kouga's Theme, 'A Mother's Son' is an adaptation of Shippo's theme (see link in last chapter) and 'Rin's theme' is just Rin's Theme. Lolz. <strong>_

_**Thanks for reading and reviewing/subscribing/favoring!**_

_**It all makes me feel o so loved ^-^**_

_**~Lions Heart**_ 獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	19. Chapter 18

If You Could Only See

Chapter 18

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Aprox. 6 months after K. Higurashi's 15<strong>**th**** Birthday**

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><p>Kagome lay on her bed while looking at a photo album of her and her friends. It had been nice to see them all today, even if she had been sick. She felt so nervous for her test tomorrow, she really needed to pass it!<p>

Her frantic mind wandered back to the things she had said to Inuyasha to make him leave her alone so she could study.

"_Hey…"_

"_What?" Kagome didn't look up from her book._

"_This test thing…is it important?"_

"_Yes." She still continued to write._

"_What's the sense in taking a test if you don't get over your cold?"_

_She turned in her chair to send a look his way. "But once I'm better I'll have to go to school. So I have to study."_

"_Getting better is more important!"_

"_Both are important!" she argued back, but she was sent into a fit of coughs._

_Inuyasha got up from his place on her bed and walked to her. "Just stay in bed!"_

"_No!"_

"_Kagome!"_

"_I WANT to go to school! Go away! Don't get in the way of my studies!"_

"_What? Alright then." He crossed to her window and jumped out, and Kagome shut the window behind him. She sat back down at the desk and tried to focus, but she laid her head on her arms._

"_I'm such a fool…"_

It had been horribly mean of her, Inuyasha was only trying to help her get better. Guilt had been gnawing at her insides ever since he left for the way she treated him. She hoped he wasn't too mad at her.

The photo album she was holding fell to the floor as her bedroom door opened and someone walked in.

"Inuyasha…"

"Here. Medicine. Drink it." He said, handing her a steaming cup of hot liquid.

"Medicine?" she asked, sniffing lightly at the smell. Her face twisted to one of disgust as she caught the scent. "It smells!"

"If you drink it, you'll get better. It'll cure any cold in an instant!" he said, a satisfied smile on his face.

Kagome wanted to refuse it, it really did smell horrible, but Inuyasha looked so sure of himself. So she took the cup from him and took a small sip. She gagged on the taste. "It's _awful_!"

"Bare it," he said taking a seat on her bed. "It may taste bad, but it'll work without fail."

"You made it?"

"Well…er...yeah..."

She gave him a warm smile. "If it'll work, I'll put up with the taste." She looked down at the cup and shuddered at the memory of it's taste. "You're sure it'll work?"

"Trust me!" he said, smiling again.

She nodded, and taking a big breath, she began to down the entire contents of the cup. She ignored the taste as best as she could, but she was relieved when it was finished. Letting out a sigh, she smiled up at Inuyasha.

"You're right! I think it's working!" her head was starting to clear and she was beginning to breath through her nose again.

"See?"

"Arigato."

"Keh, it was nothing!" he said, smirking at his small victory.

"But how did you know about making such medicine?"

"Err…" he said, turning away from her, "my mother used to…"

"Your mother? She made it for you?"

"Well, the ingredients are a little different. She used dry ingredients. I used fresh ones!"

"…fresh?" she looked down with uneasiness at her now empty cup. "Fresh…what?"

"Uh…Anyway, it'll work."

She knew Inuyasha hadn't really given her a straight answer, but she suddenly found herself glad she didn't know what was in the homemade medicine.

"Arigato."

"Keh! I said it's nothin'."

"Sorry, about earlier."

"Forget it," he said, standing up. "Just go to sleep."

Kagome laid down in her bed and pulled the covers up tight around her. She felt someone's hand tapping against her leg, and she looked down to see Inuyasha kneeling by her bed.

"Is that some kind of magic spell?" she asked.

"Er…yeah…my mother used to do it, a long time ago."

"I see," she whispered. She could already feel herself falling asleep. She closed her eyes. She was almost asleep, when she heard a soft melody being sung.

She didn't open her eyes, for fear that he might stop, but Inuyasha was humming a lullaby. It was beautiful, and had she not already been on the verge of sleep, it would have made her sleepy instantly. She tried her hardest to stay awake; she wanted to hear how it ended. When it finished, Inuyasha turned and sat with his back against her bed. Cracking open one eye, Kagome gazed at the back of his head and smiled. She wished moments like these happened more often.

She shut her eyes again, and let her mind imagine. She could picture Inuyasha, holding a baby while humming that beautiful lullaby, and the image made her smile.

'_I still feel guilty about what I said before…" _she thought. _'Maybe I'll take him to see a movie, it is the new moon soon, and he'll want to be here anyway.'_ And with that thought, she finally let dreams take her mind.

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><p><em><strong>Got this from the anime not manga…I know I said I'd be following the manga more, but…o well. PS, this is b4 chapter two, in case you were wondering. <strong>_

_**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**_

_**~Lions Heart**_ 獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	20. Chapter 19

If You Could Only See

Chapter 19

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>She pulled the blue cardigan sweater over her head and smoothed her black skirt. She picked up the brush and began running it through her black hair. Looking in the mirror, she sighed at her appearance. Her once shining hair was now dull and lifeless, and her blue gray eyes were bloodshot and she had bags underneath them. She brought a weary hand to her face and rubbed the headache that was already forming, and the day hadn't even begun yet.<p>

She felt awful. It was like her very soul was slowly being drained from her body. All she wanted to do was curl up in her bed and dream of the times she had spent with her family, all those years ago.

She wondered what they were all doing now, 500 years in the past, or maybe now, here in her own time. If they were here, that is.

Where were they? What had happened to them? What if they were in trouble? Where they waiting on her? Where they alright without her? Did they even miss her?

A familiar burning behind her eyes told her that tears were threatening to take over again.

"No, Kagome, get a hold on yourself. You can do this now, you've got work today," she told herself, brushing angrily at the imaginary tears in eyes.

A knock on the door made her turn her head and call, "Come in."

Souta opened her bedroom door and peeked his head in. "Hey Sis. You feeling okay? You look really sick. I could take over your shift for today, I've heard you tell that story so many times, I know it word for word."

She masked her sadness and smiled lightly at her brother. "No, I'll be fine. I just didn't sleep very well last night is all."

Souta looked skeptical, but he stepped into the room and crossed to her stereo.

"I want to show you something," he said, placing a disk in the player.

Kagome crossed to him curiously and tilted her head slightly as piano melody drifted lazily around the room, dancing around them and carrying a bitter sweet tune. Kagome inhaled softly as she listened.

"Its…one of my songs…" she whispered.

"They all are," Souta said with a smile. "I've been recording you playing them, and I gave a few of them to my friend whose dad owns the radio station down the road. You won't believe how popular they are! _Rin's Theme_ has been downloaded over 5,000 times already, and it's only been out for a few weeks!"

"You mean…people have been listening to _my_ songs?" she asked astonished.

"Yep," Souta said happily. "I gave them about four of your songs, and my friend's dad told me he wants to produce an album with all your songs on it. So I made recordings of all the songs you've been playing and showed them to him. He likes the one you did with the vocal best though. He wants you to come down and record it professionally, because my recording had a glitch on it," he finished sheepishly.

"Souta! I don't know whether to be mad or thrilled! You little twerp!" she said good-naturedly, giving him a bone crushing hug.

He laughed and hugged her back. "All that's left is to name the album. So what do you say, Sis? What should it be called?"

Kagome thought for a moment before smiling softly at the stereo and said, "_A Feudal Fairytale."_

"Perfect," Souta said, "I'll go down to the station now and set you up an appointment to record that last song. What days are you free?"

"Everyday, Souta," she said, rolling her eyes. "I have no life."

Souta laughed again before setting out for the radio station. Kagome turned back to her mirror and continued to get ready for the day. There was a field trip coming today, and she was in charge. She loved groups of kids, they were always the best listeners.

犬夜叉

Once they arrived, Kagome shepherded all the kids and their chaperons over to the bench by the Goshinboku. She had all the kids sit on the ground underneath the shade of the tree, and the adults stood behind the kids, watching for any misbehavior. Kagome sat down on the bench and looked up to the tree with a smile on her lips.

"This tree is thousands of years old," she began. "Some people call it the Goshinboku, that means 'the god tree'. It's seen so much…" She looked back down at the kids, who were looking up at the tree with awe.

Smiling, she continued. "It witnessed the entire story of the Shikon Jewel, and even played a big role in it. It all started with a powerful demon lord. He was a dog demon, and he ruled the entire western lands. He was very strong and was feared by all. And one day, the all powerful demon fell in love. But the other demons looked down on the great ruler, because he had fallen in love with a human woman. But despite the scorn of others, he loved the woman and protected her with all he had. In the end, he ended up giving his own life, in order to save her and the child they had together.

The woman fled with her child, for the humans also judged her for giving her heart to a demon. She struggled to raise her hanyou son, and tried her best to protect him from the hatred the world showed him. But one day, she died, and her son was all alone in the world.

He had to fight, everyday, just to survive. Demons chased him and tried to end his life, and humans called him a freak and ran him out of their villages. He had to grow up all on his own, without anyone willing to care for him, and all because he was hanyou.

Then one day, the hanyou heard about a mysterious jewel called the Shikon no Tama. It was said that this jewel possessed the power to make any wish come true. Upon hearing this, the hanyou traveled to the village where the Shikon was, intending to use it to make himself a full demon. However, there was a priestess there that guarded the Shikon, and she stopped him in his attempt in taking the jewel, but she did not kill him.

He couldn't understand why, because usually, humans and demons both jumped at the chance to kill him. So he began helping the priestess guard the jewel, instead of trying to steal it. Upon getting to know her, the hanyou found that the priestess was burdened too. Because she had devoted her life to protecting the jewel, she had forfeited any chance of her having a normal life with a family. The priestess asked him to make a wish upon the jewel to turn human, for she believed that this would purify the jewel and make it disappear forever, then she would be free to live a normal life, and the hanyou wouldn't face prejudice from humans any longer.

The hanyou agreed to sacrifice his demonic strength and power in order to live with the priestess in the village. But before they could carry out their plan, an evil man became very jealous with the hanyou. He had a twisted heart, and wanted the beautiful priestess for himself. So he made a deal with hundreds of demons; he gave them his body in return for their demonic strength. And so, the evil demon Naraku was born.

He tricked the priestess and the hanyou into thinking that they had betrayed each other. He wounded the priestess terribly, thinking she'd kill the hanyou for revenge and use the Shikon jewel to save herself, thus tainting her heart and turning it black. But instead, she used her powers to seal the hanyou to a tree, the Goshinboku. It left him in a sleep like state, and he stayed like that, for fifty years.

The priestess died because of the injury Naraku inflicted upon her, and she had her village burn the jewel with her body, thus destroying the jewel forever, or so the villagers thought."

Kagome paused in her story and took a deep breath. The children all watched with rapt attention; this was always an exciting part in the story.

"The hanyou stayed pinned to the tree, but his body did not decay, for he wasn't dead, but nor was he alive. After fifty years, a strange miko girl appeared in the forest, and she was being chased by a giant centipede monster. The people from the nearby village were trying to help the poor girl, but none were a match for the demon's great power.

The miko ran into the forest with the demon on her heals. It kept screaming at her for the jewel, but she didn't know what it meant. She ran through the forest, and somehow found her way to the great Goshinboku, where the sleeping hanyou rested, but he wasn't asleep any longer.

He had awoken, but he was still pinned to the tree. The hanyou mistook the miko for the priestess, and mocked her for not being able to fend off the centipede monster. Suddenly, the monster flung the miko into the air, and pulled from her body a small jewel, the Shikon No Tama.

The centipede consumed the jewel, and its powers increased to an incredible amount! The monster crushed the miko to the Goshinboku as it transformed, and the hanyou told her to pull the arrow from him if she wanted to live. The miko was scared, she had no idea who the hanyou was! But something about him made her trust him, so she reached up, and pulled the arrow out."

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><p><em><strong>Longest chapter yet, but just because of the story, haha. I can't wait to finish writing this, I'm so excited for it ^-^<strong>_

_**Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews, I'm always reading them and re-reading them, just cause they make me smile ^.^ Love ya'! (in a non creeper way…)**_

_**~Lions Heart**_ 獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	21. Chapter 20

If You Could Only See

Chapter 20

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>Kouga stared up at the steps that led to the Higurashi shrine. He prayed that maybe their would be a gust of wind or something to carry her scent to him, just to prove that she was up there, waiting for him.<p>

If he was wrong, and she wasn't up there, he would be in a whole mess of trouble. He might as well kiss any chance of finding her goodbye, because Inuyasha would have his ass handed to him on a silver platter once he found out where he'd been.

But he had to do this. He had come this far, he couldn't back down now, not if there was the slightest chance that she was here.

Stealing himself, he began to climb the stairs. He wished he could be in his demon form, then he could leap up the stairs in a single bound. But he couldn't do that with so many humans around, especially not at a shrine. He sniffed the air, trying to smell the humans at the top, but the wind was blowing the opposite way, blowing smells away from him. So instead he strained his ears, listening for her voice.

" – the giant spider hovered above the village, high in the sky! And chunks of miasma fell from Naraku's crumbling body. The hanyou swung his great sword at Naraku and his body began to collapse in on itself!"

It was her voice! No mistaking it!

Kouga was near the top, but ran the rest of the way up the stairs. He looked around quickly and spotted a mass of people under a giant tree. He could still hear her voice. She was telling the people the story of the Shikon, their story.

" – the priestess aimed her arrow at the shinning jewel, and fired! The arrow soared through the air, purifying the miasma around it as it went, and struck the jewel inside Naraku's body!

Kouga ran over to the crowd of people. He was going to burst through them to see her, finally see her! But when he reached the people, the wind changed and he caught her familiar scent.

There was…something off, about Kagome's smell. It was the same warm, indescribable scent he had become addicted to, but something else was interlaced in it. She smelled like…

" – but they jewel had other plans. It opened a portal, and sucked the miko into darkness. For three days, the priestess was alone in the darkness. The only thing with her was the jewel, and it was telling her to wish on it to send her back home, from the land she came from. But she didn't trust the jewel, she had seen first hand how the jewel twisted people's wishes, and was afraid that, if she did wish on the jewel, it would only end in misery for her. But she was scared, and she didn't want to be alone forever in the darkness. Her will almost gave out, but then, she heard the voice of the hanyou! He was coming for her!

The sound of his voice gave her the strength she needed to wait, and she could feel him, coming closer.

And then, there he was, right by her side; ready to protect her, like he had always done. And with her there with him, she knew how to escape the darkness. She turned to the jewel and made a wish, she wished for the jewel to disappear, forever!"

Kouga heard a crowd of children cheer, and some of the people around him clapped softly. But still he couldn't see her. He tried to get around the crowd, but she was surrounded. He had to get to her!

" – the darkness cleared, but when the miko could see the light again, she was back in her home land, and the hanyou was no where to be found. She tried to get back to her family, but she couldn't. She tried and tried, but no matter what, she couldn't get back to the people she loved. So she hoped and prayed to the kamis that her family was safe, and that maybe one day, she could be reunited with them once again."

At last, the crowd parted a bit, and Kouga looked through the small opening. There she was, sitting underneath the tree with a scar on its trunk. Tears were sparkling in her eyes as she finished the story. The children clapped and cheered, and she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Kouga stared at her. She looked like she was very sick. She looked pale and small, and she had lost weight since the last time he'd seen her. His heart broke at the sight of the miko who had once been filled with such life.

There was no mistaking the scent now; it was beginning to overpower her natural scent.

Kagome smelled like death.

"But that's not fair!" called one girl from the group of children on the ground. "The hanyou and the miko should have been together! Why did they have to be apart?"

Some children called out in agreement, and Kouga watched as Kagome looked to the scar on the tree, a sad smile painted on her face.

"No…it wasn't fair, was it? But the miko never forgot about him. She always held the time she spent with her family and treasured them in her heart."

She was still crying. And she was dying, slowly dying; yet she was able to sit here and talk about her past as though she had been but a stranger looking in.

Finally, after 500 years of waiting, she was right in front of him, but he couldn't make himself go to her. He couldn't understand why she was dying! She was still young for a human! She appeared no older than him, and yet…

"But the miko loved the hanyou, didn't she?" another girl asked.

Kagome's tears fell harder.

"Yes, she did. With all her heart."

Something felt empty inside of Kouga. She…she loved…Inuyasha? She preferred the half breed over the pure blooded demon? She would rather have that stupid fucking mutt than him?

But…hadn't she told him that before? Hadn't she always said it, even the first time they met?

He should have felt sad, but…he didn't, not at all, actually. It was like a deeper part of him had always known that Kagome wasn't meant for him.

And suddenly he knew why Kagome smelled like death. It was because she was dead inside. She and Inuyasha were mates…it was obvious now. She didn't know where he was or whether he was alive or not, and it was killing her inside.

He couldn't go to her now…she would ask questions about why he hadn't come for her, and he didn't think she'd be able to take the answers he had to give. Inuyasha had to come to her and explain to her himself, and he had to do it soon. If he didn't, she just might die of a broken heart.

Kouga backed away quietly. He raced down the steps and ran down the street. He needed to reason with Inuyasha, right away. It killed him to see Kagome like that.

He wondered again why he couldn't bring himself to be angry or sad that Kagome didn't love him. He should have wanted to tell her how Inuyasha tried to keep them all from finding her, making her suffer alone. He should have wanted to be there on the rebound, taking what Inuyasha what had been stupid enough to throw away. He should have wanted to finally make her his woman.

But all that mattered to him now was making sure Kagome was safe and happy. And if being with the damn mutt would make her happy, then he'd make sure she was with the damn mutt.

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><p><em><strong>I hope no one is mad about how quickly he accepted that Kagome didn't love him. I mean, when I was reading the manga and such, I got the impression that half the reason why Kouga chased after Kagome was because it pissed Inuyasha off. But I digress. <strong>_

_**I love reading your reviews! I love you all so much!**_

_**PS lil couz says hi.**_

**_~Lions Hear_**t 獅子の心 **_(ROAR! ^-^)_**


	22. Chapter 21

If You Could Only See

Chapter 21

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><p><strong>Modern Tokyo: Approx. three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>Rin's car screeched to a halt in the parking deck at W.I. and she got out of the car, walking quickly into the W.I. building. She was filled to the brim with different emotions. She was nervous and excited, but mostly anxious. Inuyasha had always said that Kagome should be allowed to the chance at her family back, but she finally had proof, right here, that <em>they<em> were just as much her family as her own mother would be.

Surely this would help him convince him to find her, after all, he did still love her. She could tell, call it woman's intuition, but it was true. And no matter what Inuyasha said, Kagome had loved him too. Even though she was only a small child when Kagome was around, she knew what that look in her eyes meant when she looked and Inuyasha. Sometimes men could be so stupid.

Rin walked to the elevators, before realizing that she had no clue what floor Inuyasha's office was on. She assumed one of the top floors, but this was a twenty-story building, and she didn't much fancy searching every floor for him. She walked back over the front desk.

"Excuse me but could you tell me what floor Inuyasha's office is on?"

"Sure. He's on the nineteenth floor, but you might not want to go up there right now…he's having a _discussion_ with someone, if you get my drift."

Inuyasha was famous for his temper, so Rin had a pretty good idea that this _discussion_ wasn't something she wanted to be in the middle of.

"Please, this is really important, as soon as he's free, will you let me know?" she asked.

"Sure thing," the demon smiled at her.

She walked over to the chairs to sit, but was stopped when she nearly collided with a bushel of bright red hair.

"Shippo?"

"Huh? Oh…sorry, Rin," he said tiredly.

"Shippo, are you alright?" He looked positively awful. His eyes had bags underneath them and he looked exhausted.

"…not really. No actually I'm not."

"Shippo…what happened? You know you can tell me."

Tears shimmered behind the emerald green eyes, but not one fell.

"Rin…I…I'm all on my own."

Rin looked at him confused. "What are you talking about Shippo? Your not on your own! Inuyasha will always help you out, and besides, you've got me," she said giving him a smile.

"Rin…you have a mate and a pup. I know you'll always be there for me if I need you, and I'll always be there for you, but your first priority is always going to be them. Don't get me wrong, that's the way it should be, a pup needs it's mother, more than anything else. But…"

Rin could tell what he was getting at. Who was he a first priority to?

"Shippo…you know that Inuyasha – "

"Inuyasha doesn't give a damn about anyone but his fucking self!" Shippo cut her off, his eyes flashing.

Rin gasped, and Shippo's eyes softened immediately.

"Rin…I'm sorry. I…I didn't mean to go off on you. I'm so sorry," he stammered, pleading with his eyes.

Rin's heart broke. She knew what Shippo needed, he needed to know that someone loved him. A sudden inspiration struck Rin and she quickly turned to her bag and began to rummage in it for her phone.

"Rin?" Shippo asked, looking worriedly at her. "What are you – "s

"You'll never believe what I found, Shippo!" she said, still searching her black hole of a bag. "Inuyasha found this song, and when I looked it up, I couldn't believe it! Ah ha!" she cried triumphantly, pulling out her phone.

She pressed a play button on her phone, and _A Mother's Son_ began to play. Shippo just stared at the phone, confused. It was the same melody he had heard on the radio, just the other day.

The simple melody filled his mind and he once again felt as though Kagome was reassuring him, like she once had, all those years ago. Tears spilled over the edges of his eyes.

"Turn it off!" he said angrily, screwing his eyes shut. He couldn't take it. It hurt too much.

Rin was shocked. She hadn't expected him to react like that.

"I found this the other day," she said, hitting the pause button. "Its called _A Mother's Son_. The composer has written all these songs, and they're all like this one! There's one called _Loyal Pack, _and _Tragic Priestess, _and I even found one called _Rin's Theme_!"

Shippo's head was turned away from her, and his hair hid his eyes from her view, but tears were still visible as they ran down his face. But Rin pressed on.

"We listened to them all, me and Sesshomaru, and each one reminded us of someone we knew. Kouga and the wolves, Lady Kikyo, Me, and when I heard this last song, I absolutely _knew_ that is was about you! Don't you see?" she cried. "These songs…they're all from our time in the feudal era! Shippo, Kagome wrote these songs! Kami, Shippo, she's here, and we have to find her!"

"No," he whispered, still hiding his eyes from Rin. "We can't…Rin."

"Oh not you too!" Rin cried exasperatedly. "And here I was thinking you could help me convince Inuyasha! Listen to these songs, Shippo! Kagome wrote them, I know it! What if it was her way of trying to tell us where she was? We can't just let this go Shippo! We're her family!"

"No we're not!" he snapped, rounding on her. "You don't get it. So what if Kagome's here? It doesn't matter to us anymore. She's got her own family, and she should be with them. Its not like she asked to be thrown that mess with us! She's where she's supposed to be now, whether she wrote those or not."

Tears began to pour from Rin's eyes. "You sound just like Inuyasha did!" she cried. "What are you two keeping from me? You both know something, why won't you tell me why your both so determined to not see her!"

Shippo turned away again. He couldn't stand to look her in the eyes.

"The well worked again…" he whispered, "about seven years after it closed. When Inuyasha went through…Kagome had a family…a human kid…it was like we never even existed to her!" he finished angrily. "How could she forget about us like that? She loved Inuyasha! How could she forget that? Did she even care about m-…us at all?"

That didn't sound right to Rin…it wasn't possible! She saw the proof with her own eyes, Kagome had cared about them with all her heart. She couldn't have forgotten them, because it was just against her nature!

Rin was silent for a moment as she processed this new information. "I don't know…what exactly Inuyasha saw. But I know, in my heart, that Kagome wouldn't just forget about us like that! He must have seen wrong…or – "

"He didn't see wrong. If you go to her now, Rin, you'll be ruining her chances at being happy. We lost Kagome 500 years ago, and that's all there is too it."

"No it isn't!" cried desperately. "This song," she said holding up the phone, "it holds so much in it. Kagome wrote this _for you_! I may have only been a mother for a little while, but I know what a mother feels for their child! You were like a son to her, Shippo! She loved you and this song proves it! There's no way she could have written something so beautiful if she didn't love you!"

"But…I'm not her son. She'll have her own son."

"Even if Kagome did have a child, that doesn't mean she would love you any less! When I had Rei, I instantly loved her with all my heart. But just because I love my daughter doesn't mean I love you or anyone else any less! Love doesn't work like that! It has no bounds, and there's always more to give! Kagome loved you so much, and she must be heartbroken that she doesn't know where you are! I'd be desperate if I didn't know where Rei was! Shippo, you have to go to her and let her know you're alright! Please, Shippo, trust me!"

Shippo looked into her tearful eyes, searching them desperately for the signs that what she was saying was the truth. He seemed to find it, because fresh tears ran down his face. Rin hugged him.

"Rin, I miss her so much!" he cried silently into her shoulder.

"Its okay, Shippo, I miss her too," Rin replied, still shedding tears of her own. "Come on," she said, pulling back and giving him a watery smile. "Lets go knock some sense in that baka's thick skull."

Rin took Shippo's hand and led him to the elevator.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sorry for not uploading yesterday, lil couz was borrowing my laptop and wouldn't give it back -_-<strong>_

_**Anyways thank god SOMEONE has some sence! Am I right? Dear lord, I was beginig to think that they were all mentally retarded! Lolz…that makes no sence, I'm the one writing this…haha. Gomen, I'm high on three gatoraids, a caprisun, a chocolate brownie and a cup of coffee. ME + HYPERNESS = NOOOO GOOD.**_

_**Lolz gomen, im like bouncin' off the walls…I'm gonna start on the next chapter now…^.^**_

_**Thanks for reading reviewing and favoring I makes me feel like the number one princess! (starts singing **__The World Is Mine __**by Hatsune Miku)**_

_**~Lions Heart **_獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	23. Chapter 22

If You Could Only See

Chapter 22

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years six months since the well closed.<strong>

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><p>It was still early in the morning when Kouga got to the W.I. building. He came straight from the shrine, and walked into the building, not even bothering to check in with the receptionist at the front desk. He took off the leather band around his wrist that hid his demon features, and took off up the stairs, to impatient to wait for the slow elevator.<p>

Arriving on the nineteenth floor. He walked past Inuyasha's secretary, ignoring her protest of, "Mr. Ookamii, you can't – " and walked through the office doors.

Inuyasha was staring out the office window when Kouga came in. He had felt Kouga's aura from downstairs, and wasn't surprised that it was _him _Kouga had come to see.

Inuyasha turned his furious eyes towards Kouga. Everything around him, everything that he had been so careful so plan and construct, it was all crumbling, and it was all Kouga's fault.

He was so angry, he could feel his demon bristling at the surface. How he wished he could have just killed the wolf the first time he attacked for information. That wolf had nearly killed him the night his blood became fully demon. It was his fault that he had gone through that pain. He told Rin and the others that he didn't remember the pain much, but it was a lie, because he remembered every excruciating second. That pain had been second only to the pain of losing Kagome, but unlike that pain, the pain Kouga had put him through had been completely avoidable. Then there was insistant prying and meddling that now had Kagome in danger and Shippo angry with him. Even if he didn't like to admit it, he cared about that kit as much as Kagome, and it killed him when he said those harsh things to him. If that damned wolf had just kept his fucking nose out of things that didn't even concern him, none of this would have happened.

So he glared at Kouga, with pure hatred now, and growled low in his throat, "What the HELL do you want now?"

"You have to go to her, right now Inuyasha," he said calmly, his face hard and determined.

"Why can't you fucking leave it alone!" Inuyasha screamed. "I know what I'm doing! I'm trying to protect her"

"Protect her?" Kouga asked in disbelief. "Your fucking _killing_ her! You didn't see her…she looked so sick – "

"What the hell does that mean?" he spluttered. "You saw her? How? There's no fucking way – "

"You should learn how to clear your web browser, dumb ass. It's a good thing I saw her, because she's _dying_, moron! She's your fucking mate and your too fucking stupid to realize it! She's pale and thin, and she looked like she might shatter if the wind blew on her too hard. Kagome may not love me, but I still care about her. If you don't go to her now and fix this mess you've created, then so help me Inuyasha, I swear I'll send you strait to the seven hells!"

"What did you say to her? Damn it Kouga, what the FUCK did you say to her?" Inuyasha roared, his face turning redder and redder by the second.

"I didn't say anything!" Kouga grmiced. "I wasn't about to be the one who told her that the one person she misses most is the one who's keeping her away. I actually think that if I had gone to her, she would have died, knowing that she's been worried sick about you for years now, and it's YOU that's been keeping her in the dark!"

"LEAVE!" The chain holding Inuyasha's concealment charm broke, and the locket fell to the floor, bursting open upon impact. Inuyasha's eyes glowed red, and his hair swirled around his face as if caught in a wind.

Kouga stared in disbelief at the locket on the ground, looking at the two faded pictures of a younger Kagome and Inuyasha, almost looking like they were having a fight. Kouga's eyes slide back up to the inu youkai's snarling face.

"Dear lord…you can't be serious! Your not going to do a damn thing about her, are you?"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

"SMELL MY CLOTHES!" Kouga retaliated, stepping closer to the enraged demon. "DO YOU SMELL HER SCENT? BECAUSE I CAN'T! I ALL CAN SMELL IT DEATH! YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT? YOU WANT HER DEAD? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT SHE'LL BE IN A FEW MONTHS, AT MOST!"

Inuyasha lunged, claws extended and teeth bared. Kouga just barely missed Inuyasha's claws, but was sent flying back as Inuyasha swung his fist back, catching him in the gut. His head collided with the desk, and lights blurred his vision. He pushed himself to his feet quickly and managed to dodge the second attack. Thoughts of striking back were non-existant, because Inuyasha had never attacked with such vigor before. Kouga knew, deep down, that this time, Inuyasha was out for blood.

Kouga leaped into the air, not a moment too soon, as Inuyasha's fist came slamming down in the spot where Kouga had just been standing. The floor cracked and Kouga could hear the screams from the floor below.

Kouga knew he had to get out, he could only evade Inuyasha's attacks for so long. But the youkai was in between him and the door, blocking his only exit.

Inuyasha charged again, and Kouga pushed off the ground and landed behind Inuyasha. Kouga bolted for the door, and almost made it, when two feet slammed into his back making him skid across the floor.

A clawed hand closed around his throat as he was lifted into the air. Inuyasha's eyes were completely red, and Kouga knew that he would be shown no mercy. Inuyasha drew back his hand and Kouga shut his eyes.

"INUYASHA STOP!"

Inuyasha's head snapped to the door, where Rin stood with a pale Shippo behind her. His eyes began to go back to their original color, and his grip loosened on Kouga's throat. He released Kouga, and watched as he fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, coughing.

"Leave," Inuyasha whispered, his eyes hidden by his bangs, "now. And don't you dare let me hear anything about you and don't let me see you, because next time I _will_ kill you. You've cost me too much."

Kouga gingerly pushed himself up, and limped towards the door, where Shippo put an arm under him and led him down the hall.

"Inuyasha…"Rin whispered. She was crying.

"Not…now, Rin," he said softly. He didn't trust himself to speak anymore than that.

Taking the hint, Rin left the office, trailing after Shippo and Kouga.

Inuyasha picked up the golden locket and stared down at the picture of Kagome. He could almost hear her voice, yelling at him for hurting Kouga.

He felt dead inside. He was so confused. The things Kouga had told him floated in the back of his mind, but he pushed them away.

'_No,_' he thought. _'I know what I saw. She had a little boy, a little human boy with black hair and brown eyes. She was so happy…she's fine. She'll be fine.'_

He closed his fist on the golden heart, snapping it shut, and tears leaked from his eyes.

'_Wont she?_'

* * *

><p><em><strong>Oh…my…lord…I GOT OVER 100 REVIEWS! HOLY CHEESE BALLS THAT FREAKING AMAZING! Gosh y'all, thanks so much for everything!<strong>_

_**I love you all so much, and you make me smile all the time ^-^ **_

_**Thanks so much for taking the time to review and read and favor and what-not.**_

_**Getting to the good stuff soon!**_

_**~Lions Heart**_ 獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	24. Chapter 23

If You Could Only See

Chapter 23

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>Rin was still shaking as she helped Shippo put Kouga in a chair in the lobby of the W.I. building. She had never seen Inuyasha act like that before. He had looked so lost and broken…<p>

"Kouga, what did you say to him?" Rin asked the demon who was still trying to catch his breath after being choked.

"That…that fucker! All I did was tell 'im the truth!" Kouga's face was twisted with rage.

"What happened and what did you tell him to set him off like that!" Shippo asked angrily.

"Don't you all go pointing fingers at me!" Kouga said, outraged. "He's fucking _killing_ her! But what do you care! You probably want her dead too! Little piece of shit!" Kouga attempted to stand, but was pushed back by an angry Rin.

"Don't you _dare_ talk to him like that!" Rin yelled, tears sparkling in her eyes. Shippo had gone white at Kouga's acuzation, and he was trembling with the effort it took not to knock his lights out.

"What do you mean he's killing her Kouga," Shippo calmly said, but the slight tremor in his voice gave away the rage he was trying to conceal.

Kouga looked at the two for a second before speaking. "I found her, just this morning."

"You what!" Shippo nearly screamed. "How? Where is she? Is she all right? Kami, tell me Kouga!"

"Depends on your definition of 'all right'." Kouga said, wiping almost dried blood from the corner of his mouth. "Alive, yes. But not for long. She's dying…slowly, but surely. She's worried herself _sick_ over everyone, and the fact that she doesn't know what happened to us all is torturing her inside. She's working at a shrine on the opposite side of Tokyo."

"Just on the opposite side…Kami. Isn't that around where the village were Lady Kaede lived was?" Rin said. "Oh Kami…she waited in the same place, hoping to see us." Tears began to pour from Rin's eyes as she thought of the miko, alone and scared for her family. "Kouga! You have to take us to her, we have to let her know we're alright so she can stop worrying!"

"You go to her now, and she'll die of a broken heart!" Kouga said bitterly. "She's that mut's mate…and its his fault she's in the condition she's in. I just don't understand it! Why won't he go to her?" Kouga said angrily.

"About seven years after the well closed, Inuyasha found a way through. When he went through, she had a human kid." Shippo said solemnly.

"A human…kid?" Kouga asked in disbelief. "What is he _stupid_?" Kouga roared. He suddenly had enough strength to stand. "So _what _if she had a damn kid! It's not like that would have stoped us from seeing her! Plus, how did he even know the kid was hers? She was so kind hearted…hell, maybe it was just some orphaned runt! It wouldn't be the first time she'd done it!" He said, motioning to Shippo.

"So why can't we go to her?" Shippo asked anxiously.

"_You_ try explaining to someone that the person they love most was avoiding them on purpose. Inuyasha's got to be the one she see's first, otherwise it just might kill her."

"Kouga…" Rin said thoughtfully. "Why didn't you…I mean…I thought _you_ wanted Kagome to be your mate?"

"Tch, like it matters." Kouga said, turning his head away. "As long as she's safe, that's all that matters to me. I still feel like Kagome's pack, even if she loves that bastard instead of me."

For the first time, Rin felt a little respect for Kouga. She really was amazed how he could put someone else's needs above his own, for a change.

"So…how do we convince Inuyasha to go to her?" Rin said quietly.

"Well reasoning is out." Kouga said bitterly.

"I don't know if what you did counts as reasoning," Shippo snapped.

"Still, we have to think of something!" Rin said desperately over Kouga's growls. "What if…what if…" she trailed off in thought.

Then insperation hit her. "Kagome! She wrote the song! The song that Inuyasha found!" she said excitedly.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kouga said, looked at her like she'd gone insane.

"Inuyasha showed me this song he found on the radio called _Rin's Theme,_ and…well…it kind of…sounds like me…" she finished, embaresed.

"That's right!" Shippo said, catching on. "She wrote all those other songs you told me about too!"

"_Exactly_!" Rin said, nearly jumping for joy. "If the composer of those songs was to perform…I'll bet Inuyasha would go to see the concert!"

"And if he went, and saw her there," Shippo continued, "he'd _have_ to go to her!"

"Would you two mind telling me what the _hell_ is going on?" Kouga asked impatiently.

Rin turned to him, smiling wider than she had all day. "Kouga, I believe that Sesshomaru and I will be hosting a concert soon."

犬夜叉

Rin walked briskly down the street to the radio station Shippo said he heard his song on. They had decided to contact Kagome through the radio station that aired her music. Less questions would be asked that way.

The door to the small building opened with a little tinkle, alearting the man running it of her presence.

"Hi there, welcome to 997.5 FM, how can I help you this fine day?"

"Well, you see, my husband and I were looking to host a concert soon, and we were listening to the radio the other day, and we heard the most beautiful songs being played. I was wondering if you might be able to help be contact the composer so that they might play in our concert," she finished, all in one breath.

"Which songs are you referring too?"

"Um, lets see, _Rin's Theme, A Mother's Son, Loyal Pack, Tradgic Priestess_…the list goes on I'm sure," she said, giving a small smile.

"Ah…I was afraid you meant her. You see, the composer of those songs wished to remain annonomous…and I can't really give you any contact information. We do however have the numbers for many other artists that are very – "

"Wait, Mr. Moshi!" a voice cried from the back of the room. From a door came in a boy with black raven hair, and chocolate brown eyes. Rin's heart leaped to her throat when she saw the similarities to this boy and Kagome.

"Hi, I'm Souta!" The boy said, holding out his hand. He didn't look any younger than fifteen.

"Hello, nice to meet you," Rin said, shaking his hand.

"Sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear," he said apologeticly, looking over at Mr. Moshi. "Listen, I know the composer, and I wouldn't mind asking her if she'd play for your concert! I'm sure she'd be thrilled at the chance!" he said, a hopeful gleam in his eye.

"That would be wonderful!" Rin said excidedly. "Here," she said, taking out a business card. "This is my husband's number. Just give it a call if you think she might like to play for us, alright? The concert will be in about a week or so…when you call we'll give you more details."

The boy, Souta took the card and smiled. "Thank you so much!"

As Rin walked out of the radio station, she heard another boy say ecstatically to Souta, "Dude! Your sister's gonna be famous!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Oooommmggg I wanna write the next chapters like NOW but I can't cause I have math T.T<strong>_

_**Damn…I wish I could sell a majorly successful book, get rich, and never have to worry about school again! Too bad that prob ain't gonna happen -_-"**_

**_~Lions Heart_** 獅子の心 **_(ROAR! ^-^)_**


	25. Chapter 24

If You Could Only See

Chapter 24

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo; Approx. three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>It took two days for Rin to get a call back from Kagome's brother, Souta. He was ecstatic on the line. The concert would consist of three other aspiring pianists, all playing one or more of their own pieces. Kagome would play last. The concert would be held that next Saturday, at the theater in the middle of Tokyo. Everything was set.<p>

All Rin had to do, now was make sure that Inuyasha came to the performance.

Rin entered the W.I. building and took the elevator up to the nineteenth floor. Greeting the secretary, she knocking gingerly on the office door.

She waited for a moment but received no response, so she pushed the door open slightly and peeked her head inside. Inuyasha was standing with his back to the door, looking out the window onto the busy streets below.

"Inuyasha?" Rin called, stepping further into the room.

At the sound of her voice, Inuyasha turned his head, in shock to look at her. Rin's mouth fell open and she took a sharp breath. His usually bright eyes were dull and his skin was pale. His usual shiny hair hung limp and lifeless, and his eyes looked red and bloodshot.

"Rin? Sorry…I guess I didn't hear you knock."

"Inuyasha…are you feeling alright?" Rin said, taking a worried step closer to him.

"Huh…oh. Uh, I guess. Didn't sleep much past couple of nights…" he trailed of, not meeting her eyes.

"Please don't lie to me," Rin said in a stern voice. "Your like my brother, you know you can trust me."

Inuyasha looked back at her for a moment, before giving her a bitter smile.

"Yeah…guess your right."

When he didn't elaborate, Rin questioned him again. "What's wrong?"

"I…damn it…everything is just so screwed up right now…" He ran his hand through his hair, causing it to become disheveled and tangled. "…I know I'm doing the right thing, but…kami…I _want_ to be wrong!" He screwed his eyes shut and turned his cast his head down as two tears fell from his eyes. "But I'm not wrong…I've known it for years…I just…I can't…" His hands balled into fists, his nails cutting into the skin on his palms. He was trembling.

Rin's eyes filled with tears. The separation from Kagome was finally killing him, too.

"But I screwed up…I slipped. How could I have been so stupid? What if I changed what happened…what if she isn't…" he collapsed in a chair, burying his head in his hands. "Kami…I can't do this!"

Rin knew that he was wrong, that Kagome needed him. She wanted to tell him that she was waiting for him…but would he believe her? In the state he was in, she doubted it. She was afraid that any goading to get him to go to her would only push him farther away from her. Their plan was the safest course of action.

She sat carefully down in the chair next to him as she gently lay a hand on his shoulder. She tried to hide her own tears as she pretended not to notice the tears he too was trying to hide.

"Inuyasha…Sesshomaru and I are hosting a concert in a week…come to it. It'll help take your mind off things. We even managed to get a hold of the composer of my song that you found…they will be playing in it as well. Please come…you've always loved music," she begged, poorly hiding the desperation in her voice.

"Sure…alright," he whispered.

Rin stood from her chair. She lighty squeezed his hand before leaving the office. She prayed to the kamis that everything would turn out all right.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Short… I know…I really almost just put this at the end of last chapter…but I didn't…gomen.<strong>_

_**Next chapter is MAJORLY important…so don't kill me if it takes a few days to write, okay? Things are about to get crazy…haha.**_

_**Also, I got attacked by the plot bunnies at three in the morning…and I got this idea. Take a look and tell me what you think please ^o^**_

_**Summery~**__Inuyasha's the first demon to get a job as a teacher. The job is perfect, he's far away from his brother, and he gets to teach kids his favorite subject, history. What's more, the job led him to his mate. Too bad she's one of his students._

_**Little exert from chapter one~**_

"Why me?" she asked suddenly. "Out of the hundreds of girls you see everyday, why pick me?"

He cocked his head slightly to the side, as if in deep thought. He smirked down at her before looking into her eyes, allowing himself to get lost in the rolling clouds of grey.

"Not quite sure," he began still mesmerized by her eyes. "But I know one thing."

"Really? Pray tell."

"You an' me together," he rested his head against hers, so he could dwell even deeper in her gaze. "We'd make _history_."

_**So watcha think? Should I do this once this fic is over? (it goes to chapter 30…plus is has like three possible epiloges. Haha. So we still have a while to go ^.^ but idk…**_

_**Review and I'll love u forever!**_

~Lions Heart 獅子の心 (ROAR! ^-^)


	26. Chapter 25

**_I rewrote this 5 times and worked through lunch to bring you this one day early ^.^ Hope you like! Now i must go eat sushi...poor empty tummy ~.~_**

* * *

><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Chapter 25

* * *

><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

* * *

><p>The anticipation was eating her alive. She pulled lightly on her floor length black dress, smoothing out the wrinkles that were interlaced in it. She couldn't believe everything that was happening. Within one week, she had a CD of her music, and her first concert performance. It was…unreal.<p>

And yet, she didn't feel as happy as she should have.

I mean, wasn't this everyone's dream? To be recognized for their work? To have a crowd of kami knows how many people here to see them? To be appreciated?

She felt sick to her stomach, so many other people were already out there on stage, playing their hearts out and filling their souls with music. And they were good! She had never played for an audience before…and by the noise of the applause, she could tell that it was a fairly large crowd.

Feeling an all too familiar headache coming on she clutched at the side of her head and groaned.

"Come on, sis, your gonna mess up your hair!" Souta said, coming up to her backstage.

"Since when have _you _cared about hair?" she teased. "Last time I checked you were a guy!"

Laughing with his sister, Souta took in her appearance. She looked so pale, like she might collapse any minute.

"You sure your up for this tonight?" he said, all traces of humor gone.

"I'm fine Souta…trust me," she said, shooing away his worries. "I'm just a little scared is all."

Souta knew she wasn't telling the truth, but what could he do?

"The crowd is so big…" she said, looking nervously in the direction applause was coming from as the last person to play finished their song.

"Forget the crowd," Souta said, pulling her away from the curtain. "Just…play like you would if you knew that they were listening."

Kagome didn't have to ask who "they" were. Her eyes filled with tears as she smiled in appreciation to her little brother, but not one fell. "Thanks Souta."

"Miss Higurashi, your turn," said a young man wearing a headset.

Her heart fluttered in her chest as she let out a breath of nervousness. She glanced once more back at her brother, who gave her an encouraging smile, though his eyes were still laced with worry, and stepped out onto the stage.

The lights were blinding, and as she made her way to the stage slowly, she looked out onto the crowd, trying to get accustomed to the light. She nervously sat down on the bench at the piano, and glanced once more at the dark faces of the crowd.

She closed her eyes, and imagined that instead of thousands of faces, there was just one. One face, with golden eyes that watched over her in the darkness of night. One face, framed by curtains of flowing, unkempt silver hair. One face, of the man she loved with all her hear, the man she would love until the day she died.

She turned back to the piano, and began to play, for him, for Inuyasha.

犬夜叉

His eyes were closed. He felt so weak. He had hoped that maybe the music would lift his spirits, but they only seemed to cast him further into the dark tresses of his mind.

The songs these people were playing…they were pretty, but they held none of the emotion he craved. They seemed empty and pointless, like the people playing them were machines, programmed to play with perfection and precision. It wasn't beautiful.

He just wanted to leave…he didn't care anymore. He wanted to fall asleep, letting darkness take his troubles and worries, and the pain of loosing the one person who had loved him unconditionally, the one person whom he loved with every ounce of his being. The one person whom he had been too afraid to tell, the one person he had let get away.

From beside him, he heard Rin gasp as footsteps seemed to echo from the stage. Shippo swore softly under his breath, and even Sesshomaru made a noise of disapproval. Inuyasha still didn't open his eyes. It didn't matter anymore, he couldn't bring himself to care what upset his family, because he couldn't seem to tear his mind away from _her._

From Kagome.

The piano sounded, and the person sitting at the bench began to play. The music stabbed him like a knife in his heart. It was beautiful…and yet it sounded so familiar…like a lost memory. And then he heard it. The voice that had visited him, only in his dreams and fantasies. Soft and gentle, yet firm and determined. The voice was singing, reminding him of a time, a time from a different world, when he had cared for his love, and had sung her a lullaby to ensure sweet sleep.

His eyes snapped open, and she was there. At the piano, singing the lullaby his mother had sung to him whenever he had been sick or sad; the lullaby he had only ever shared to her.

She was there, as if she had always been there, just out of sight. She was there…

Kagome.

犬夜叉

She let the melody flow through her soul, praying that wherever he was, he could hear here, whether he was in the audience listening, or in the heavens watching from above. She hoped he could hear…because she wanted him to know how much she loved him, even if he didn't love her in return. She would feel freed if she could know that he knew.

The lullaby she knew so well came to an end, and her eyes sparkled with tears as they trailed down her cheeks and stained her dress. The crowd erupted into applause, cheering and standing for her. She stood and looked out, nodding her head in acknowledgement, unable to stem the flow of tears.

Then a light was visible in the back of the auditorium. Kagome's eyes were instantly drawn to it. Someone was leaving quickly through the door in the back. As the door closed, she caught the slightest glimpse of silver hair, whipping around the corner and out of sight.

There was no hesitation as she ripped off her shoes. Only one thought was in her mind at that moment. She could only focus on that one coherent thought, _Inuyasha._

She leapt off the stage, ignoring the surprised gasps from the crowd, and tore off in the direction he had disappeared to. In the back of her mind, she registered someone calling her name, but she didn't have time for them. She had to find _Inuyasha._

She burst through the doors of the building and out onto the crowded street. The sidewalk was so thick with people, she could tell which way he had disappeared to. Suddenly she caught a flash of silver again, coming from the left. She ran that way, pushing past the people as best as she could, keeping her eyes locked on the silver head that was slowly getting farther and farther away from her.

Her heart was beating so fast, and she was beginning to feel lightheaded, but she didn't slow down. The crowd of people was so thick, it was making it impossible for her to catch up to him.

"Inuyasha!" she screamed, desperately, but it was no use and the silver head drew farther away still.

He heard her behind him, and he hesitated. But he couldn't look past that haunting image of Kagome with another man, and the pain was too much for him to handle. She called his name again, but the sound of her pleading voice cut him, and he pushed on, determined that he we doing the right thing...for her and him.

Her heart was beating so fast and loud in her ears, that she couldn't tell one beat from another. It was hopeless; she'd never be able to catch up. He was starting to disappear in the crowd.

She took a deep breath, tears flowing like a river, and called out her one last hope. She screamed it to the heavens, because if this didn't work, nothing would. She stopped her fruitless attempts of pushing past the crowds of people and called out the last thing that could succeed, and save her, or would fail and condemn her broken soul.

"OSWARI!"

Time stopped, and the word hung in the air, seemingly echoing around the two people whom it affected. For the first time, in over 500 years, the faded and chipped rosary that hung around his neck glowed, and grew impossibly heavy. Kagome watched as a faint light seemed to shine and the silver head vanished as it plummeted towards the earth.

The crowd parted, trying to avoid the man who had fallen. His head turned to her, and amber eyes met blue, for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered. And suddenly the pavement was rising quickly to meet her as the world turned black around her eyes.

* * *

><p><em><strong>song she played has like six different names...Akia, Kagome and Inuyasha's Theme, or Inuyasha's Lullaby. there are a couple of different versions too...but u can pick your favorite. <strong>_

_**Ending it there for now…gomen.**_

_**Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I love you all ^-^**_

_**~Lions Heart**_ 獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	27. Chapter 26

If You Could Only See

Chapter 26

* * *

><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

* * *

><p>"Inuyasha…"<p>

He watched as she swooned on the spot, but was helpless because of the subjugation spell, and could only watch as she collapsed.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha pushed off the ground and rushed to where she lay in the middle of the sidewalk. He pulled her into his arms and felt her forehead. It was ice cold.

"Kami! I she alright?"

"Quick someone call an ambulance!" The voices of the crowd gathering around them fell on his deaf ears as he held her in his arms.

"Everyone stand back! I'm a doctor!" someone shouted. "Sir, I'm going to need you to back away please."

"No way in hell!" Inuyasha spat at him, barring his teeth and growling low in his throat.

"Please, sir, I need to check her pulse."

Inuyasha reluctantly made room for the doctor, but still held her head in his lap.

"…I'm...not getting a pulse – "

"Screw this!" he said, scooping her up in his arms and leaping to his feet. He tore off down the street, heading towards the hospital. He ignored the fact that people were staring at him as he moved with inhuman speed. He didn't care. All that mattered to him at the moment was the fact that he couldn't hear the heartbeat of the girl in his arms.

Suddenly the Hospital came into sight and and he put on an extra burst of speed, crashing through the doors.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" he screamed. Instantly doctors and nursed rushed to him and took Kagome from him. They hooked her up to machines and wheeled her through a set of doors and down the made to follow, but a nurse stood in his way.

"Sir, unless you can prove your relationship to this woman, I'm afraid we can't allow you to accompany her."

"Let me through!" he snarled. "She's my fucking ma-" but he stopped himself. Because it wouldn't make sense to the human nurse. And besides, it wasn't true. Kagome wasn't his mate, no matter how much he wished she could be.

He growled in frustration and despair, and pulled out his phone dialing Rin's number.

"Hello? Inuyasha? What happened? Why did you run out like that? Where are you?"

"I'm at the hospital, get Souta...Mrs. Higurashi...get _someone_ down here, NOW! They won't tell me anything...just _hurry_!" he snapped the phone shut and collapsed in a chair burring his head in his hands.

Images of her cold, lifeless body plagued his mind and wouldn't allow him peace. His insides twisted with fear, and he felt weak and useless.

It was his fault. Whatever happened had happened because of him...he just knew it. Maybe he should have gone to her...maybe he should have let the others greet her the last time she returned to this time through the well.

He wanted to keep them away...he told himself it was because she deserved a life free of the worry that the knowledge of demons would bring her otherwise normal life. But know he fully realized his true reasons.

Sometimes, he would delude himself into thinking that she would choose him if he had gone to her the moment she returned here, and if he did that, he'd be intentionally destroying a life. But that wasn't true.

She would have had the kid...one way or another. Whether she knew the fate of him and the others or not. Because what happens, happens, regardless of what you want or what you think.

But he had been selfish. He didn't want to endure the pain he knew he'd feel if he was forced to watch as she chose the human over him. As she swelled with his child and as she achieved her hearts desire...without him. So he kept the others away too...giving himself excused not to see her like that.

But she had suffered...he could see that clearly now. Her heart was so loving, that she had worried herself to the point of death over them all, and it was because of him that she was now here, in the hospital, fighting for her life.

A threatening growl tore through his chest, and he swung out a fist, connecting it with the wall next to his chair, effectively covering his hand in drywall.

The nurses didn't even think to throw him out...he looked feral and dangerous. Besides, they had seen too many sit in that exact spot and leave their own mark in that unfortunate wall.

犬夜叉

Souta looked out the window of the car. He was whiter than bone, and he was trembling from head to foot.

He didn't know what to think when his sister had leapt off stage and charged out of the building...he had been just as stunned as everyone else. He had decided to wait, thinking that she would remeber him and come back, but was met instead by the woman who he had first met in the radio station.

She had been crying, and she looked frantic.

_"Souta...you need to come with me now, quickly, I think your sister has had some kind of accident."_

Souta had wasted no time in getting into the car she had prepaired at the front of the building. He didn't even care when he noticed the other two in the car.

In the back of his mind, he registered that they were talking...but none of it mattered to him now. All that mattered was that his sister was at the hospital...and she had been looking sick for a long time...

"Should we call Kouga? I think he deserves to know too."

"Yeah, what did you do with Rei?"

"Shiori is taking care of her...we should call her too and let her know what's happened."

Souta only caught snatches of their conversation. He only cared that it was taking a _very_ long time to arrive at the hospital.

"Excuse me, but can we please speed up a little?" he begged desperately.

In the rear-view mirror, he noticed a pair of golden-amber eyes narrow slightly, and a disapproving "Hn," could be heard, but the car sped up none the less.

Shippo stared openly at the boy sitting next to him in the car. His head was turned away, staring out the window, giving Shippo a nice view of his black hair.

Black hair...

Kagome's child had black hair...could this be...? He didn't know how many years had pasted since Kagome had come through the well one last time...

No...Rin had said that this was her brother...not child. The jealousy in his heart lessoned, but didn't fade, because this kid had been with Kagome...and he'd been without her so long.

He pushed those thoughts away. I wasn't fair to think like that. Besides, from the way Rin had described Inuyasha on the phone, Kagome was in pretty bad shape, and he shouldn't be worrying about such stupid things right now.

After what seemed like a century, the car pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. Souta leapt out of the car and ran into the emergency room.

"I'm looking for my sister! Kagome Higurashi! Please, I'm her brother! Take me to her!"

"Right this way sir," a nurse said leading him through a set of doors.

The hallways twisted and turned, and it seemed like a never-ending maze. Finally, the nurse held open a door, and his eyes fell on his sister, pale and unconcious, with an oxegen mask on and an IV dripping through a needle into her arm. A machine next to her beeped to the beat of her heart.

"What...what happened?" he chocked out weakly.

The doctor in the room looked at him nervously. "Uh, do you have your parents with you, it might be better if I talk to them - "

"They're on there way! Just tell me what's wrong with my sister damnit!" He screamed at the doctor, losing his patience.

"Well...to give it to you straight, her heart stopped beating. We think she was gone...but only for a minute or two. We were able to shock her back withing a few tries, but she's been comatose ever since. We aren't quite sure why any of this happened...she seems perfectly healthy, but..." he looked sadly at the young girl on the bed.

"Kagome..." Souta whispered, tears coming to his eyes. He went to her side and gripped her hand; it was cold as ice.

"Kagome?" came a panicked voice from the door.

Looking up, Souta saw his mother and Jii-chan. He didn't leave Kagome's side as the doctor re-explained the situation to them.

"Will she be alright?" his voice suddenly sounded, without his permission.

"Well...we expect so. We think she should wake up from the coma in anywhere from two days to a two weeks...its hard to tell. Her body just needs some time to recoup."

"Thank you..." his mother whispered, still trying to wipe away the tears in her eyes. Both she and Souta we by Kagome, watching over her sadly. But Jii, however, was looking around the room suspiciously.

"Demons..." he whispered, almost inaudibly.

"What?" Souta said, looking up at the man.

"I said demons!" he said, begining to pace. "I sense a demonic aura in this place...powerful ones too! They're here...I'd bet my life on it!"

"Father, not now," Mrs. Higurashi whispered, not ever taking her eyes off her baby girl.

"I'm telling you, they're here! We should move Kagome out before one of them tries to attack her!"

"Give it a rest, Jii-chan," Souta said, getting to his feet. "I'm going back to the waiting room...I need to thank the woman who gave me a lift here. I wouldn't even have known about Kagome if it wasn't for her.

Souta left the room, and Jii was still going on about the demons. He followed the signs back to the waiting room, memorizing the route so he could find his way back.

Entering the waiting room, he recognized the woman and went to her.

"Souta! Kami, is Kagome alright?" she said, leaping to her feet from the chair she had been ocupying. A young boy with red hair stood up with her, Souta vaguly recognized him from the car ride over, and he looked every bit as anxious as the woman, if not more.

"The doctors say she'll be fine...they aren't quite sure what happened, but they said her heart stopped beating. They were able to shock her back to life...but she's in a coma right now. They say she should wake up soon though."

"Thank Kami..." the red haired boy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Arigato...for bringing me here I mean," Souta said, giving them small bow.

"Don't worry about it," the woman said.

"Arigato," Souta said again. He began his way back to the hospital room, when he fully noticed the two men that were still seated. One's face was cold and smooth, and betrayed no emotion, and the other looked broken...his head rested in his hands and his silver hair fell from around his shoulders.

Silver hair?

"Inu-no-niichan?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>whoo...sorry it took me forever to get this out...ever time I sat down to write, i would blank out or something...gomen! I've been...distracted...by certain ppl ^3^ <em>**

**_Thanks for reading/reviewing/favoring!_**

**_It means so much to me when you do that!_**

**_ily wamham (with all my heart and more...seriously have you never heard anyone use that b4?)_**

**_~Lions Heart_** 獅子の心 _**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	28. Chapter 27

If You Could Only See

Chapter 27

* * *

><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

* * *

><p>"Inu-no-niichan?"<p>

Inuyasha lifted his head and got to his feet, staring at Souta. "Hey…kid…"

"Inu-Niichan!" Souta ran forward and hugged him. "Kami! I knew it! I knew you weren't dead!" Souta stood back, so as to take in his long lost hero. Though he still had silver hair and gold eyes, his trademark ears were nowhere in sight, in their stead were human ears.

"You're the one who brought Kagome here, aren't you? Kami! I can't believe it! You're always there at just the right moment! I can't believe its really you…after all this time! But what happened to you? Where have you – "

"Kagome…will she be alright?" Inuyasha said cutting him off, looking at Souta intensely.

"H-hai…she should be fine…"

Inuyasha gave a small sound of approval, and sank back into his chair. His head leaned back against the wall and he closed his eyes, falling asleep.

Souta could only stare in shock and amazement. After three and a half years of wondering…of worrying, and here he was, in the flesh and blood. But he looked sick…just like Kagome had been looking ever since she came back the last time.

He couldn't wrap his mind around it…Inuyasha was really _here_.

Something clicked in his mind…if Inuyasha had survived long enough to be here…then so did the others Kagome told stories about. Souta turned back to the woman who was staring at him with tears in her eyes.

"If…Inuyasha's here…that must mean…are you…"

"I'm Rin," the woman said, wiping at the tears in her eyes. "That's Shippo," she said pointing to the boy with red hair, "and this is my mate Sesshomaru," she finished gesturing to the man with silver hair that was still seated.

"Holy shit…" Souta said, astonished. "Is this…all really happening? I'm not going crazy, right? I mean, you really are…from then? Damn…just wow!" He turned his attention to Shippo. "Are you…I mean, can you really do magic?" He said with wonder.

In response, Shippo quickly glanced around the room before snapping his fingers, making a small blue flame dance across his fingertips.

"No way…" Souta said, astonished. "I can't believe it! This is so freaking amazing! I can't believe it! Your really Shippo! Kami…when Kagome talks about you, she makes it sound like your just a kid. But hell…you're older than me!"

"By a few hundred years, I suspect," Shippo said, laughing with him.

"Kami! So you've all just been waiting around, for the last 500 years?"

"Not _waiting around_," Sesshomaru finally spoke. He sounded rather annoyed. "This Sesshomaru does _not_ wait around. I have built a major corporation and have effectively hidden the entire youkai populous from human knowledge. This Sesshomaru has not been just _waiting around,"_ he finished, sending a deathly glare towards Souta, whom gulped a bit under the scrutiny.

"Oh Sesshomaru, don't scare the poor kid, he's been through enough tonight, I think," Rin said giving him a peck on the cheek.

He gave a grunt of disapproval, but turned his gaze away from the intimidated human before him. "If the miko is safe, I see no reason for me to wait here," he said getting to his feet. "Am I right to assume that you'll be waiting here?" he asked Rin.

"Hai…take care of Rei."

"Hn," he planted a kiss on her forehead. "Stay safe," he said, and then left the hospital, not looking back.

"Wow…are you sure he and Inu-Niichan are brothers?" Souta said, staring in disbelief at the closing doors. "They aren't very much alike."

Shippo and Rin laughed at this, but Inuyasha stayed still in his seat. Souta looked back at him with wonder.

"So what happened after the well quit working? Was Naraku really dead? I mean…Kagome was so afraid that he would come back somehow, or that it was just another trick of his or something."

"No…we really did kill him then," Shippo said. "But even after all this time, he's still causing us trouble…the bastard," he grimaced.

"What do you mean?" Souta said, looking confused.

"Kagome was the one who Naraku feared most when it came down to it. The evil git hated losing, so he wished Kagome away from us all. He wanted to get one last hit against us before going out for good."

"So that's why the well quit working," Souta said, coming to an understanding. "But why wait so long to see her once you came to the same time? And why did you want her to perform in concert? Why all the secrecy…I mean why not just go to her? I'm sorry…I'm just really confused."

Rin and Shippo gave each other quick glances. Inuyasha, who had been listening intently, stiffened in his chair, but still feigned sleep.

Rin cleared her throat. "Well…you see...it was very complicated."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Urgh….took me a while to write…I'm not proud of it. Sorry y'all. TRUST ME it gets better with the next few chapters…lotta coming to terms with things…bare with me! Chapter 27 done…three more to go! (I think haha)<strong>_

_**~Lions Heart **__獅子の心__**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	29. Chapter 28

_**Before I forget…this chapter is dedicated to KagomesDarkHeart…why? Because she's awesome…that's why. Oh, and btw…I FREAKING LOVE YOU HEBI! Haha you remind me of my best friend so much!**_

* * *

><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Chapter 28

* * *

><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

* * *

><p>The heart monitor beeped steadily throughout the otherwise silent room. Jii-chan had given up his attempts at warning and had taken to sulking in the chair, fingering an ofuda and eyeing the room nervously. Mrs. Higurashi sat in the chair by her daughter's bed, gently stroking a cold hand in hers, fighting back tears in her eyes.<p>

"My poor girl…" she whispered as two tears escaped the barriers on her eyes and ran down her cheek.

Suddenly footsteps were heard, running from down the hallway. An excited and flustered Souta burst through the door.

"Mama!" he breathed excitedly. "He's here!"

"Souta! What are you talking abo– "

"He's here, Mama! After all this time! I saw him, just now! Mama, it's _Inuyasha_!"

Suddenly the beeping of the heart monitor sped up as Kagome's heart rate increased. All eyes in the room snapped to her, searching for any signs of her stirring, but she stayed still. Her heartbeat slowed and returned to normal, taking with it the fleeting sense of hope that had filled the room.

"What did you say, Souta?" Mrs. Higurashi said tiredly to her son.

"It was Inuyasha! He's the one that found Kagome and brought her here when she collapsed! The little girl from Kagome's stories…the one that traveled with Inu-Niichan's brother, she's grown now and she organized the whole concert!" Souta could barely contain his excitement.

"What? But…but that doesn't make any sense!" Mrs. Higurashi said, completely stunned.

"I know…" Souta said, furrowing his brow in confusion. "It doesn't really make sense to me either…but does it really matter? I mean…they're here now! All the people from the story of the Shikon! Rin, Shippo, Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha were in the waiting room, but they told me that all demons were still living around us, and they are just hidden." Souta looked down at his sister again. "What rotten luck…she's been worried sick about them all, and the moment they turn up, she's knocked into a coma…"

Mrs. Higurashi finally stood from her place by Kagome's bed. "If what your saying is true, Souta, then they must have been waiting to see Kagome for a very long time…I'm going to go to the doctors and I'll get them to clear Kagome for visitors. She may be unconscious, but they say that talking to someone in a coma helps wake them up."

She left the room, and got the okay from the doctors to let visitors into Kagome's room, but she was only allowed one at a time. Thanking the doctor, she exited towards the waiting room. She searched for any signs of a familiar face…and there he was. Sitting in a chair with his head tilted back against the wall, his eyes closed and his silver hair framing his face.

"Inuyasha-kun?"

His eyes opened and he turned to look at Kagome's mother. His eyes were full of regret and worry, and the sight of him broke Mrs. Higurashi's heart.

"Thank the kamis…your safe…" she put a hand to her heart and breathed a shaky sigh of relief. She sat down in the empty seat next to him and looked at him with watery eyes. "You grew up quite nicely, you know."

Inuyasha attempted a smile at her, but it was strained and forced, and the muscles in his face hurt with the effort. He was saved when Mrs. Higurashi turned to Rin and Shippo.

"But I haven't met your two," she said, giving a small smile."I'm Kagome's mother. I'm guessing that you must be Rin," she said to Rin.

"Hai," Rin said, staring in wonder at Kagome's mother. It was so odd to meet the people from Kagome's life without them.

"And your Shippo, I can tell by your hair," Mrs. Higurashi said to Shippo.

"Y-yeah," Shippo said, blushing a bit as he gave an embarrassed smile.

"My...it's so nice to finally meet you all! It was very nice of you to bring Souta here."

"It wasn't any trouble! Kagome is part of out family, we'd do anything for her!" Rin said smiling warmly at the older woman.

"I talked to the doctors, and he said it would be alright if you wanted to go in and see her, but I'm afraid you can only go one at a time." Mrs. Higurashi looked out of the corner of her eye at Inuyasha, but he was sitting with his head down, and his hair hiding his eyes from view. "Inuyasha-kun..."

"I'll go...if its alright with you," Rin said, looking hopefully at Mrs. Higurashi.

"Hm, maybe that's a good idea. My father is a bit esentric, and he may try to use ofudas if a demon were to go into the room alone. Just send him and Souta out here, if you would."

Rin smiled at Mrs. Higurashi gratefully. She gave a quick look at Inuyasha, who made no attempt to acknowledge her as he continued to hide his face from view. She bit her bottom lip in worry, but continued through door and down the hallway, towards Kagome, at last.

犬夜叉

"H-hi, Kagome...its me, Rin." Rin sat in the chair next to the hospital bed, and the machines made the only other sounds in the room. "You wouldn't believe how much we went through to get to you...its been crazy. I'm...I'm sorry it took us so long. A lot has changed since you were taken away from us. I just had my first child...its a little girl. Sesshomaru wanted to name her Rei, she's so sweet. Once your awake and out of here, you'll have to come and see her. Kami...I just can't believe that after all this time...your really here! I always knew I'd we'd see you again, somehow. I'm just sorry that it had to be like this..." she trailed off, looking at Kagome's fragile figure. "You meant a lot to me...back when I was still a little girl. I'm...so glad we're finally together again." Tears fell from Rin's eyes for the millionth time that night, and she stood, leaning over Kagome so as to kiss her lightly on the cheek. "Welcome back, Kagome." She left the room and went down the hallway, back to the waiting room.

犬夜叉

Shippo went next. Gingerly, he peered through the door. And there she was, after 500 years of longing and waiting, she was there. His mother. Kagome.

"Kagome..." he whispered stepping into the room, tears already pouring from his eyes. He wanted to run to her and have her hold him in her arms, but he held himself back. He walked slowly to the chair, never taking his eyes off her still figure. He feasted his eyes on her...after years of only the memories of her, he relished in the ability to take everything in. Her long, raven black hair, her smooth skin. He breathed in deeply, taking in her soothing scent, unique and her own. Her scent was better than he remembered.

"Kagome, I...I don't know if you can hear me or not right now...but its Shippo. Kami Kagome...I've missed you so much! When you disappeared, I was so scared that I'd never see you again," he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I don't think I ever told you this...but you were like a mother to me. You cared about me, when you didn't even have to. You really saved me." Tears cascaded down his face as he looked at her unconcious form, and he wished for the thousandth time that she had never been taken from him. "I'm so happy your back..." he whispered. He stood and wrapped his arms carefully around her small body and tears fell, staining the shoulder on her hospital gown. As he left the room, he gave her one last lingering look, and left for the waiting room.

犬夜叉

Mrs. Higurashi looked with worry at Inuyasha. He sat motionless, hunched over with his hair hiding his eyes. Rin had left the hospital to take care of her daughter, and Shippo had just left for Kagome's room. But Inuyasha still hadn't shown any signs of wanting to see Kagome.

"Inuyasha-kun, whats the matter?" Mrs. Higurashi whispered.

Inuyasha made a noise in his throat and shook his head a fraction of an inch to each side, but made no other attempts to answer.

"Hm. So what happened after the well sealed?"

"Not much...really," his voice was soft and hoarse, and he continued to hide his face from view.

"Come on now...don't tell me you've just been lying about for the last five centuries," she said, trying to lighten the mood. "Something obviously happened...I see the ears I loved so much aren't there anymore," she said, tweaking one said human ear.

The very corner of his mouth twitched in a smile. "Nah, they're still there. I'm just wearing a charm that hides demonic features. All demons went into hiding about a hundred years after...after Naraku. It just made sense...demons and humans don't like each other, they'll always fight each other. So we sent all the demons into hiding and in return, we make sure that they never have to worry about food or territory, stuff like that."

"I wouldn't call that 'not much', sounds to me like you've been very busy," she smiled warmly at him.

Silence followed. It stretched on and Mrs. Higurashi couldn't think what else to say to him.

"Inuyasha-kun," she whispered, afraid if her voice was too loud, it would break the young man sitting next to her."Visiting hours are almost over…wouldn't you like to see Kagome?"

"I…I can't…I'm…sorry." His hands clenched into fists and they were shaking in his lap.

"Well of course you _can_, her room is right down the hall. The problem isn't that you can't…its that you wont. So why wont you see her? She's missed you terribly, and you two were so close, I know you missed her too. What's holding you back?" she questioned curiously.

"I…I wont because…because I love her." Though she couldn't see his eyes, Mrs. Higurashi would have been blind if she hadn't seen the trail of tears that leaked out from under his bangs and ran down his face. "And she doesn't love me back."

"Now why would you say something like that?" she said, taken aback. "You never asked her, have you? That's a big thing to just assume."

"I'm not assuming. I saw…she had a family…a little kid. She told him that his father would be home soon. I couldn't handle it…so I went back through…" he gritted his teeth together and fought the tears, but he couldn't diminish their flow. "It was about seven years after…after the well closed…on my side."

Mrs. Higurashi was shocked, and she felt tears of her own prick at her eyes. The young boy she knew had lived with the image of the girl he loved with someone else for the last 500 years. But it didn't make sense. Kagome hadn't wanted to be with anyone else…not after meeting Inuyasha. She had watched, day after day, as her daughter had tried anything and everything to get back to him. What he was saying and what she had seen of Kagome didn't match up, and she couldn't understand it.

But one thing was clear. She needed to get Inuyasha to see Kagome…because both he and Kagome were hurting, and only they could heal the holes in each other's hearts.

"Inuyasha-kun…please. I don't know…exactly what you saw, but I do know that she cares about you, more than you can imagine. Please, it will help you both, I know it."

Inuyasha's fist tightened even more, if that was even possible.

The doors opened, and Shippo came out, eyes sparkling with tears. "I think…I'll go to the cafiteria with Souta and Mr. Higurashi." He lightly tapped Inuyasha's should with his hand. "Your up."

Inuyasha's hands unfurled in defeat, and he stood, slowly making his way through the double doors.

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><p><strong><em>Ok…sorry for the belated update. Took me a long time to write this chapter, and it ended up being a LOT longer that I originally thought it would be. But oh well…I didn't want it to feel rushed at all…but I think it still is a bit…keh, whatever. To stressed to fix it now. <em>**

**_Sorry if updates aren't as frequent…I'm dying in my Spanish class…so I need to study more for it. Gomen. _**

**_We're almost there! I'm so excited ^o^_**

**_Thanks for reading/reviewing/favoring! I makes me love you all sooooo much!_**

**_~Lions Heart _**獅子の心 **_(ROAR! ^-^)_**


	30. Chapter 29

If You Could Only See

Chapter 29

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years six months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>The silence in the room was louder than anything he had ever experienced. Every beep of the monitor seemed like a bullhorn blaring through a thick fog. He didn't raise his eyes to her. He didn't want to see the state she was in.<p>

Emotions battled inside him. Guilt was the easiest to recognize. For his own selfish reasons, he had kept Kagome isolated and alone, and now she was hurt because of it. He felt disgusted at himself, for allowing this to happen to her. But even with the guilt, he would have been a fool if he didn't admit the longing he felt.

After the hundreds of years of hardships and trials, she lay but a few feet away from him. And yet…

She was so very far away.

Everything about her seemed to take hold of his heart, pulling him to come closer. To hold her and never let go again. But another feeling was stopping him. A feeling that, in his sleep deprived state, he couldn't place.

He supposed he should say something…but what do you say to the person you love after 500 years?

"O-Oi…in case you didn't know…it's Inuyasha," he took in a deep breath. "You sure did pick a…a rotten time to go home forever. The village prepared a giant banquet for us all for saving them. They roasted whole pigs, and served wine, but I didn't let Shippo have any, 'cause I knew you'd have a cow if I did."

Inuyasha smiled darkly to himself a bit. He had often imagined what he would say to her if he knew he ever could again, and this certainly wasn't what he had pictured.

"Shippo completed his fox training. It sure took long enough…but the runt did it in the end. I think…I think he wanted to make you proud of him…" he trailed off. Shippo had lived this whole time, working his hardest to make Kagome proud of him. It had hurt to watch him, knowing that he'd never allow him to see her again. She wasn't his real mother, and he wasn't her real son, so it didn't matter. Shippo had him, Rin, and even Sesshomaru, and Kagome had her family, her mother, brother, and grandfather…

And eventually her husband.

That last emotion, the one he could not place, it flared up inside him, smothering the feelings of guilt and longing. It was anger, anger and resentment.

"Kagome…why? Why did you forget him…why did you forget me?"

She forgot about him. She rebuilt his heart with her kindness and loving nature, and then torn it apart again.

"You were there…for only a year. And yet you became the center of my world. After you left…there was nothing for me. Just the hope of seeing you again. And then you betrayed me!"

He clenched his eyes shut and his hands curled back into fists.

"Couldn't you feel it? Those last moments before the well sealed? Couldn't you feel how much you meant to me? How much I loved you? When I found you in that darkness…you said you wanted to be with me! Was that the truth? Because I believed it with all my heart! I pushed on, knowing that even if the well never reopened, I'd still be able to meet you on the other side. But I was foolish…I took your words to seriously. I thought you loved me like I loved you…but it was only wishful thinking."

His muscles relaxed as his body sagged in defeat, and a hand pushed his bangs from his eyes as he clutched his forehead.

"Wishful…haven't I learned by now? Wishing does nothing. It only brings trouble. You've got to take charge and do things yourself if you want something. It's no fault but my own. I don't have any right to be angry…I never told you how I felt. And I disregarded your feelings…I just always assumed that…that there would be more time. I know it's too late, that I've missed my chance, but…" a melancholy smile barely raised the edges of his mouth, and he began to raise his eyes to Kagome's still figure. "…I love you Kagome, you were and still are everything to me."

His eyes landed on her, where a sparkle caused him to take further inspection. Staining her face where two tears that slowly ran out of the corners of her eyes and fell into her raven hair.

"K'gom…" he whispered, a single tear leaking from his eye as well.

"Excuse me, sir?" a woman's voice came from the door. "I'm very sorry, but…visiting hours are over. You'll have to go now…but you can come by tomorrow – "

But Inuyasha was no longer listening. He had already stood and pushed his way out through the door.

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><p><em><strong>Ok…omg omg omg im nervous for the last few chapters! OMG I'M LIKE ALMOST FINISHED! This is like HUGE.<strong>_

_**I want to thank everyone who reads and reviews this story, because it really just makes my day to see all you comments and such! For your support, I give my thanks!**_

_**Till next chapter…hopefully by tomorrow!**_

_**~Lions Heart **_獅子の心_**(ROAR! ^-^)**_


	31. Chapter 30

_**NOTE THE TIME CHANGE! I'm not going to make this all happen within one month…that's just absurd.**_

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><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Chapter 30

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years seven months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>He never went back to the hospital. Despite knowing that his anger was unjust, he couldn't let it go. Every time he thought of Kagome, happy without him, his eyes saw red, and whatever was unfortunate enough to be close received the bulk of his anger. His new secretary had already quit.<p>

He woke up, early every morning and arrived at work before anyone else. He stayed in his office all day, walled up and for the most part ignored anyone who came to talk to him. He worked late into the night, sometimes not even bothering to go home until three or four in the morning. On those nights, he would stay in his apartment for only an hour or two before heading back to the office to burry himself in work again.

He didn't eat much. It just didn't occur to him most of the time. He was so absorbed in trying to forget, that he wouldn't notice when it came time for lunch…and then dinner. He'd only remember to eat when he'd go home and see the instant ramen he always kept on hand.

Sleep was almost non-existent. He'd sometimes force himself to lay down and close his eyes, but when sleep did come, it was never for more than an hour at a time. The constant pain he felt in his heart made sure of it. And when he was just too exhausted to starve of sleep anymore, his nights were plagued by dreams of what could have been. Her, standing by him as the years passed. As the world slowly changed, becoming the place it was now. They weren't bad dreams…in fact they were wonderful. It was when he woke up from them that had his heart twisting violently in his chest.

He wished they would stop, but they came every time he closed his eyes. He couldn't get rid of them. After a week, he refused to go to sleep until he passed out in his chair. Rin had been the one to wake him of his dreams of Kagome that time. She pleaded with him to go back to the hospital and see Kagome, that the doctors suspected that she would wake up soon and that she would want to see him when she did.

But he didn't want to see her.

He saw her enough in the taunting dreams, he saw her enough every second his mind wasn't already occupied. He saw her every second as her face filled his mind

And yet his heart still longed for her.

He had gotten up and left the office, not bothering to lock the door or acknowledge Rin in any way. He left to go home, but turned around and came right back to work when he couldn't handle his silent apartment anymore.

And the cycle continued.

Two weeks went on like that. Rin and Shippo eventually gave up on trying to convince Inuyasha to go back to the hospital. It was obvious that he wouldn't listen to anything they said.

One day, as Inuyasha sat at his desk, the phone rang. Looking at the I.D., he saw it was Shippo, and didn't bother to pick up. However, when he called again, three times, Inuyasha closed up his office and left, planning on working from home for the rest of the night. He was already ahead on his paperwork by about a week, but he welcomed the distraction of the tedious work.

He got in his car and sped off down the road, headed to his apartment building not far away. He glanced down at his watch and noted the time; ten thirty. He parked in his usual spot and went to the elevator, ignoring the chipper doorman as he walked inside. When the elevator stopped on the third floor, he walked groggily to his apartment door and dropped his stuff, trying in his befuddled state to fumble with the keys. Finally he heard the lock click and he pushed the door open. Shoving his keys in his pocket he bend down to retrieve his briefcase.

Suddenly the sound of the door to the stairwell opening caught his attention. He froze, because there was a woman standing there, at the end of the hall. And she was staring at him. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears as she kept her gaze locked on his. He straightened slowly and looked her in the eyes in utter disbelief.

For a moment, he thought it might just be an illusion, his mind playing tricks on him again. But her existence was confirmed when she whispered,

"Inuyasha…"

"….K'…gom…"

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><p><em><strong>EEEE okay…next chapter is big…big big big…and its going to take a while to write. So don't expect an upload until at LEAST Friday…Gomen, but I want it to take my time writing the next one. It's all coming to a close!<strong>_

_**Thanks for all you reviews and support! **_

_**ILY WAMHAM!**_

_**~Lions Heart (ROAR! ^-^)**_


	32. Chapter 31

_**WARNING: there IS a SMALL lemon (emphasis on small) in this chapter, its not huge, but I think its necessary. I'll give you a warning. if you don't like those kind of things, skip it and I'll give you a summery of what basically happened at the end of the chapter. Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Chapter 31

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years seven months after the well closed. <strong>

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><p>"Inuyasha…"<p>

"…K'…gom…"

"Inuyasha!" She took off, running towards him, and he was still in too much shock to do anything about it. She threw her arms around his middle and buried her head in his chest, her body shaking with the force of her tears. She twisted her hands in his shirt, holding onto him with everything she had, afraid that if she loosened her grip at all, he'd disappear forever.

"I was…so afraid…you were dead…" she said through shaky breaths.

He didn't know what to do, but her sobs where tearing at his heart, making him feel the guilt again.

"Keh…why would you think that?"

She gave a short breathy laugh and gripped his shirt tighter. "Because I was worried baka." She released her death grip on him and wiped her eyes.

"Why are you here?" he asked bluntly.

She looked up at him, surprised, and took a small step back, embarrassed about her forwardness.

"I woke up…about an hour ago. I wanted to…to see you." Her eyes shined with her tears, but they sparkled with a hint of their old determination, something that Inuyasha couldn't miss.

His heart felt like it was being squeezed. Were the kamis mocking him? After making _sure_ he knew that Kagome didn't love him, they played with him and tried to give him false hope. But he wouldn't fall for it…the pain was already too much to handle.

"How did…how did you know where to go?"

"When I woke up, the nurse gave me a piece of paper someone had left for me. It had the address of this building on it…"

'_Shippo…_' he thought heatedly. This must have been what the runt was calling about. The bastard had left his address for her to find.

"…Why did you come here?" he asked again. He cringed at how harsh he sounded, but he didn't back down. He couldn't let his heart receive any more damage.

She hesitated for a moment. "Because I…I…" she closed her eyes, looking as if she was trying to steal herself. She opened her eyes and looked right at him, and her eyes seemed to light up like fire. "Because I wanted to be with you."

"With…me? But why? You weren't a part of our time, Kagome," he said angrily. "You got thrown into that mess with us by accident. You weren't meant to be with us. In the end, what was supposed to happen happened. You were sent back to the world where you were meant to be, you went home," he said with a finality.

"Home?" she asked incredulously. "Home? My home isn't in a specific time or place. My home is with my friends and family, with the people I love! I'm not the same I was back then, and I've come to realize a lot of things. I've realized that life happens too quickly to let it go by. You have to seize the moment when you can, or you'll end up regretting it for the rest of your life."

For the past 500 years, he had regretted not telling her how he felt. He had been cautious and naive, and he had paid for it dearly. Had she regretted it too? Had she too thought that there would be more time?

She took a step closer to him, that fire in her eyes burning like the sun. "When I woke up on my fifteenth birthday, I never expected to fall through the hidden well and into the past. I never expected to get mixed up in a battle for the jewel. But it happened, and I'm thankful for it everyday. I met you, and you changed who I was. You changed my heart and made me who I am. But I was young and stupid, and I thought that there would be the fairytale ending that adults always tell to kids. I didn't act on my feelings because I never dreamed that I'd miss my chance," she paused and squeezed her eyes shut, the pain of her loneliness weighing heavy on her heart. Taking a deep breath she looked up at him. "My mother was there when I woke up. She told me the reason you stayed away."

He froze. So she knew? She _knew_ how he felt and what he had seen, and came to him anyway? Why would she purposely put him through this?

"And I'm telling you that whatever you saw was wrong!" She took another step, and he couldn't help but notice that they were closer now, closer than two people talking normally would be. "I don't know what exactly you saw when you went through the well, but I'm telling you that it couldn't have been my child. It couldn't have been mine, because I could never have a family…without…without you."

"And why not?" he said angrily. "You aren't bound to me! You don't owe me anything! You can be with whoever you fucking want, because I screwed up, and there's nothing I can do to change it…" he voice broke, and he clenched his eyes shut, unable to look at her anymore.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered, her heart breaking in her chest. "If you could only see," she was so very close now, and he could feel her breath on his face, "how much I've always loved you."

**(lemon begins here…Summery at end.)**

Her lips were mere inches from his, and she brushed them against his lightly, like a whisper. It was like a spark ignited in him, burning his insides like white hot flame. Primal instinct kicked in, driving him to take the lips that had not moved away from his face.

He could feel his demonic strength struggling against the heart shaped pendant around his neck. With one hand, he ripped the charm from his throat, breaking the chain in the process. The other arm was wrapping itself around her waist as her hands began to tangle in his hair, seeking out the soft ears that now rested on his head.

And now they were moving, but who was leading who, he couldn't tell. They moved through the already open door, leaving behind the forgotten briefcase. They broke apart gasping for air, but the relief was short lived. She slammed against the door, closing it, and he pinned her there, a hand resting on the wall next to her head. He heard her gasp as he attacked her neck, savoring the taste and feel of her soft skin against his mouth.

"K'gome…I missed you so much…" he said in between his caresses.

"The feeling's mutual," she said, pulling his head up to meet her lips again.

It was amazing, this feeling of rapture. He assaulted her lips with his, and he somehow found that her legs were wrapped around his waist as he held her close. His legs moved without instruction, and his mind couldn't contemplate where they were taking them. But it didn't matter, because she was _here_, and he was holding her in a way he had only ever dreamed of.

He fell to his knees against something soft, and her back hit the pillows, but they never broke the hold they had on each other. Her hands came from around his neck, and they went to his shirt, ripping the buttons off as she tore the shirt open. He kneeled over her on the bed, using his arms as support, and shivered at the touch of her hands against his bare skin. Her hands went away, and she pulled her mouth away from his. He made a whining sound in protest, but stopped quickly when he saw her raising her arms, pulling off her sweater and bra in one movement, and began to slide off her skirt, tossing her clothes aside to the floor.

It was the oddest feeling, like taking a bite of something to eat, and realizing that you've been starving for hours. He felt heat pool at the bottom of his stomach and blood rushed to his member, making it hard and erect. He moaned in pain as it strained against the binds of his pants, and he fumbled with the button with one hand, desperate to be free of them. Her hands came to his, and from their combined efforts, he was released from his bonds. A lingering hand grasped his throbbing erection, giving it a hard pull. He moved with her, letting her pull him to meet her, and she guided him, directly at her opening.

"Kagome…" he groaned.

Their lips connected.

"Kagome…"

Their torsos connected.

He was placed in just the right place, so that by one thrust of his hips, they would be completed connected. But…

"Kagome," he gasped breaking off from her lips. "Demons mate for life…if we do this now, you'll be mine…forever."

"Baka…" she whispered, puling him close again. "I'm already yours."

He let go of his restraint, crushing her lips with his, and plunged into her.

Their souls connected.

The initial pain didn't even register to her, because the pleasure she was feeling consumed her and filled her empty heart.

She moved against him, in time with his own thrusts, with the rhythm and precision of a musician. It was more beautiful than any melody. Two restless souls were finally together as they should be. And the world breathed a sigh of solace.

Her walls closed around him, and she came, just as he did. He buried his seed deep within her, and they called out each other's names, at the same time. As he pulled out of her, he fell to the bed next to her. Still driven by instinct, he pulled her to him, and sunk his fangs into the junction of her neck and torso. She gasped and tilted her head away from him at the unexpected pleasure, giving him better access her soft skin.

As he pulled away, he stared in appreciation at the mark he left on her skin, proving to the world that she was his, and his alone. He ran his tongue over it, lapping up the small traces of blood, and continued up to her face, where he kissed her one last time, before they both fell asleep, wrapped in each other...

Together at last...

Mates.

**Lemon Summery. They had sex (no shit Sherlock.). Demons mate for life, and Inuyasha and Kagome are now mates. Yay!**

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><p><em><strong>Whoo! Okay, so if you read the lemon, don't judge me too harshly. I've never written one before, and I didn't want to get all nasty. I just wanted to show some of their feelings, and the only way I could think of was if they were having sex. Sooo yeah. Not meant to turn you on or anything…just for explanation purposes. <strong>_

_**Anyways…hope you enjoyed! **_

_**More soon! Gotta write an english essay first tho... ~.~**_

_**THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO READ AND REVIEWED, I LOVE YOU ALL SO FREAKING MUCH IT'S INSANE!**_

_**~Lions Heart 獅子の心 (ROAR! ^-^)**_


	33. Chapter 32

If You Could Only See

Chapter 32

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years seven months after the well closed.<strong>

* * *

><p>Somewhere in his groggy mind, he registered that it was morning. He knew he should probably head on into work, but he was so comfortable…<p>

The body next to him shivered, and he reached down an arm to pull the covers more securely around them, without ever cracking an eye open.

So what if he showed up a few hours late? Like Sesshomaru could fire him…nobody could do his job better than he could.

The body next to him settled deeper into his chest and he instinctively wrapped his arm tighter around her waist.

In fact, why even bother to show up at work at all? He was already ahead on his work. The only reason they would need him there would be if there was an emergency of some kind, and if that happened they could always call him. No, it was better just to stay here in his bed, away from the people that pissed him off and made his life like hell. Better to stay here, all by his lonesome…self?

The audible sigh the person gave woke Inuyasha from his thoughts, and his eyes snapped open. For a moment he stared in confusion at the girl lying next to him in his bed. Then he caught sight of the mark on her neck.

_His_ mark.

The memories of the past few weeks and especially those of last nights crashed on him and his eyes grew wide as he realized what had happened. He had marked Kagome as his mate, and by the looks of it, she hadn't rejected it.

Did she understand what this meant? He doubted it. Who could have ever told her about demon mating? She grew up, blissfully unaware that demons ever existed until her fifteenth birthday. How could she know what they had done?

A male demon will only ever mark the one they are sure they want to be with. But if the female rejects the mark, then its like nothing ever happened. But if she accepts it…

Then they are bound together for life.

Mating wasn't something to be treated lightly. Usually demons did a sort of proposal before mating, much like human marriage. But they hadn't talked about it at all. They had both acted in the heat of the moment, but it wasn't Inuyasha that would suffer, it was Kagome. This was much more serious than human marriage. Human marriage can be cut off, but demon mating binds two souls together, and it can never be undone. Inuyasha felt as though he had drugged Kagome and dragged her off to the nearest casino chapel.

Would she be upset? He didn't know. Fear gripped his insides as he felt her begin to stir, and he felt frozen in place. Her body shifted and she turned to face him, still trapped underneath on of his arms. He felt like he should remove it, but his body wasn't listening to his mind's coherent thoughts.

Her eyes began to flutter open, and her eyes found him as she blinked sleepily up at him. She spoke in a whisper, as if not to wake someone still sleeping. "I don't know if anyone has ever told you this before…but you snore." She smiled softly up at him, but it faded when she saw the look on Inuyasha's face…like a child caught doing something wrong. "What's wrong?"

"Kagome…I'm…I'm so sorry…" he choked out, afraid of her inevitable anger.

"Sorry? For what?" she said furrowing her brow.

"I…I marked you, and I…I never asked I just…"

"So…you regret it?" she asked softly.

"No!" he said, louder than necessary, but he couldn't help himself.

"Then there's no problem, right?" she said, looking relieved.

"You don't understand. Once you're marked, it can't ever be erased. It means you can't be with anyone other than me again, I…I'm so sorry!"

She sat up and looked down at him, letting the bed covers fall away from her bare chest, but she didn't care. She took his head in her hands and brought his face up to meet hers. Her soft lips pressed against his as she held him there, refusing to let go.

Despite his guilt, he still felt exhilarated at the feel of her skin against his. He marveled in the feel of it, and the fact that he had changed her life forever was wiped blank from his mind. He focused solely on her taste, sweet and distinct, and…salty?

He forced himself back, and saw to his distress that tears ran from her eyes. Instantly, he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her securely, wanting to protect her, as a mate should. He felt the pang of guilt again, and buried his face in her shoulder, ashamed of his careless actions.

"Didn't you hear me last night?" she whispered, twisting in his lap to look at his face. "I don't _want_ to be with anyone else. From the moment I saw you…from the day we met…I could never imagine being with anyone other than you. I want to be with you, always. When I came back through the well, I was afraid I'd never see you again…" she chocked on a sob that caught in her throat, and he instinctively tightened his grip on her, still trying to grasp her words. "Inuyasha…I was so afraid that you were dead…that maybe something had happened, something that I could have done to prevent…" she curled up against his bare chest, and listened to his heartbeat beneath his skin, as if she were checking to make sure he really was still alive and well. "I was so scared…" she whispered, "And I decided that I wouldn't live in regret anymore. I realized that a little pain along the way is better than living in the dark," he voice was getting stronger, and she looked up into his eyes. "When you found me in the void the jewel sent me…I told you that I wanted to be with you. That hasn't changed! I love you, and I want to be with you, forever, if you'll have me…" her voice faltered on her last words, and she looked at him with hopeful eyes.

Unable to help himself, he crashed down on her mouth, tasting her as if it were the first time. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his used his tongue to memorize every square inch of her mouth.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered when they broke apart.

"What in seven hells do _you_ have to be sorry for?" he asked incredulously.

"I…I left…and you thought I'd forget about you…and you had to live with that for so long…"

He brushed away the tears that were rolling slowly down her face with his thumb as he cupped her face in his hands. "It wasn't your fault. Naraku wished you to never come back to the feudal era…there wasn't anything anyone could have done about it. But I was stupid, and I kept you alone, I'm sorry." He pulled her so she leaned back against his chest and her head rested beneath his chin. "But I've got you now, and I'll never let you go again. And if you don't like it…too fucking bad," he said, tightening his arms around her.

"I think I just might hold to you that," she sighed as she leaned further back into his embrace.

He felt like his heart was lighter than air. Everything he had ever hoped for, everything he had ever dreamed, it was now here with him, wrapped in his arms, and in his bed. It was pure ecstasy.

He began to burry his head in her neck, licking and nipping at the mark his fangs had left on her skin the night before, the proof that he loved her, and she loved him.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome said, her back arching to the feel of his administrations on her sensitive skin.

He gave a distracted, "Hm?"

"Do you think…we could see Shippo…and the others?" she said, having trouble keeping focused.

"I don't want to share…" he whined, locking his legs around her small figure, as if to hold her in place better.

"Selfish puppy…" she laughed as a small growl sounded in this throat.

"Mine…" he whispered in her ear, and his voice sent shivers down her spine.

"You want to spend the whole day in bed?" she asked, amused.

"Now you're catching on," he said, tilting her head up so he could taste her lips again. But he was interrupted when her stomach growled loudly. "What the hell was that?" he said as he pulled back.

"I'm hungry," she shrugged.

"When was the last time you ate, wench?" he asked looking at her with concerned eyes.

"Well, I ate about four hours before the concert…then I went into a coma…and when I woke up I came straight here…so I'd say…a little over two weeks."

"TWO WEEKS! HOLY HELLS WOMAN!" he said getting to his feet instantly, carrying her with him. "And I don't even have anything to eat in this fucking rat hole! We're going to get you something, right now!" He rand out of the room and crossed to his apartment door, still holding Kagome, and had a hand on the door before she stopped him.

"Inuyasha! Don't you think we should put some clothes on first?" she said, her face turning red in her blush.

Looking down, he registered that they were both indeed still free as jaybirds. "Oh…right…" he said setting her down so she could retrieve her clothes.

He pulled on a random pair of jeans lying on the floor and looked at her out of the corner of his eye as she pulled her sweater down over her head, and smiled to himself.

She was perfect. And she was all his.

His mate.

* * *

><p><strong><em>…k…so…I know I said there was only going to be three more chapters but…now I'm saying it again. It'll be three minimum at least…so yeah. <em>**

**_ Thanks for reading and reviewing!_**

**_ILY WAMHAM!_**

**_~Lions Heart_** 獅子の心 **_(ROAR! ^-^)_**


	34. Chapter 33

_**If your wondering why I haven't updated in a while, its because I was in ORLANDO FLORIDA BABY! I went on a class trip, came back, and then drove back down (9 hour ride…) with my marching band. It was Disney World's 40**__**th**__** birthday, and my marching got to MARCH IN A PARADE! It was the day before their birthday…but oh well. Point is, I was in a Disney parade. So if you were at the magic kingdom around 2-3 the day before their 40**__**th**__** anniversary…I was the second person in the front row playing a tiny flute (called a piccolo.) ^-^**_

_**ANYWAYS, I took my computer while I was away so I could work on maybe two chapters, but that didn't happen. Sorry guys, but I was just too tired. I got back at six this morning, and I've been working all day to get this too you, so sorry for the belated update. Hope you like!**_

**I**m**P**o**R**t**A**n**T PLEASE DON'T SKIP!**

_**MAJOR mess up with the last chapter…ff deleted like three paragraphs….then it deleted like a whole sentence when I updated. Its fixed now, so if you re-read the last chapter it should all make sense now.**_

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><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Chapter 33

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. three years seven months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>"Are you sure you want to do this now?" Inuyasha said, laying a hand on her slightly trembling shoulder.<p>

Startled, she turned to look at him, tearing her gaze away from the massive house before her. As they had pulled up to the house, a sense of anticipation had long since been building up inside her, but now a seed of dread was buried deep in her stomach.

After eating, Kagome had convinced Inuyasha to take her to see Shippo and the others. Inuyasha had said that the kit tended to hang around with Rin, Sesshomaru and their new pup, so here they were now, standing outside Sesshomaru's mansion, separated by only a few hundred feet.

"No! I want to see him…its just…" she took a deep breath. "Well, according to you, its been 500 years…I mean, he must have grown quite a lot…" she looked back at the house with longing, not even registering the tears in her eyes until she felt Inuyasha brush them away from her eyes. "Inuyasha…what if he hates me for leaving him? I…I don't think I could handle that!"

Inuyasha pulled her back to him, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder, looking up with her at the structure looming above them.

"Kagome, Shippo doesn't blame you for what happened…none of us do. It was Naraku, trying to get one last hit against us before admitting defeat. Shippo was mad at Naraku, not you. You wouldn't believe, Shippo actually asked Sesshomaru to bring Naraku back with the Tensaiga, just so we could kill him again for sending you away." Inuyasha gave a short laugh as he remembered that first year. "I was with him on that too."

"But when I came out of the jewel's void…I was so happy to see my Mama, Jii-chan, and Souta, that I didn't even think about everyone! I was just so happy to not be alone…"

"Kagome…you were fifteen! You were still just a kid! It was natural that you wanted comfort from your family. In the feudal era, you had to act like the adult, for everyone. It was only natural for you to want to seek the people who gave you comfort, rather than the people who expect it from you. Anyone else would have done the same thing," he said, trying to extinguish her worries.

Kagome bit her bottom lip in worry, still unsure.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to argue his point, when an unwelcome voice could be heard from behind, it's owner running towards them.

"Oi! Kagome!"

Turning her head in shock, Kagome stammered out, "K-Kouga!"

Inuyasha turned to face the approaching wolf demon, pushing Kagome slightly behind him, so he was in between the offending youkai and his mate. Inuyasha glared at him, daring him to come any closer. But Kouga looked past Inuyasha, to Kagome.

"Long time, no see!" he said, giving her a toothy smile. "I see dog turd finally got up the courage to mark you," he nodded his head, indicating the mating mark, just barely visible from under her sweater.

Kagome blushed a bit, and put a hand to the marks in her skin as she remembered the events from the previous night.

Inuyasha wasn't amused. He gave a low threatening growl in his throat. "What the hell do you want, wolf shit?"

In the blink of an eye, Kouga was behind Inuyasha, with his arms wrapped around Kagome's shoulders as he smirked up at Inuyasha. "I came to see my woman, what else?"

"What the – " Inuyasha said, trying to figure out how Kouga had gotten past him so quickly. "Get the hell off her!" he shouted, ripping Kouga off Kagome and holding him up in the air by the collar of his shirt.

"Haven't changed much, have you Kouga-kun?" said a laughing Kagome.

"What was there to change? I've always been great," Kouga smirked, unaffected by his current and dangerous position. "Calm down, mutt face. I wont steal you mate. I _do_ have morals."

"Could of fooled me," Inuyasha snarled, dropping Kouga to the ground.

"Kagome, you better get in that house and see that damned runt, or I swear he'll have an aneurism!" Kouga said as he got to his feet and dusted himself off.

Kagome looked to Inuyasha, asking without words if she should. Inuyasha gave her a small nod, then jerked his head in the direction of the house, indicating that she should go.

She took a shaky breath, giving one last lingering look up at the manor house, and set off up the steps that would take her to the door.

Kouga made to follow her inside, but was stopped by the arm of an inu youkai. "Just so we're clear," Inuyasha said, holding Kouga in place with hardened eyes. "I still don't like you, and I'm not fond of the idea of you hanging around me and my mate."

"Interesting," Kouga said, scowling at him. "Cause I don't much care for you either. Problem is, Kagome's still a pack sister, even if she is with a flea bag like you. Fact is, I don't trust you. You screwed up, for 500 years. Someone's gotta make sure you stay in check." He ducked under Inuyasha's restraining arm and followed Kagome into the building.

Inuyasha glared at Kouga's retreating figure, and whished he could gut the piece of shit. Letting out a breath of frustration. He followed the wolf prince into his brother's house.

As soon as he entered the house, the scent of tears hit his sensitive nose. What he saw made him stop and stare.

Someone looking in from the outside could never grasp the emotion that the scene showed. Only if you had been living in the pain of loss for 500 years could you understand the fufilment that reverberated in the air as Kagome and Shippo held each other, reunited as mother and son.

"Shippo," Kagome whispered as her eyes sparkled with tears. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there…I can't believe…your all grown now!"

Shippo gave a short laugh as he brushed the tears from his eyes. He looked at her with feelings of happiness that he had almost forgotten it was possible to feel.

"I knew we'd get you back one day 'Gome," he said, smiling up at her with joy.

Kagome's smile widened, and her eyes fell upon Rin, who was standing in the corner holding a little bundle in her arms.

"Rin-chan!" Kagome gasped, unable to keep in her excitement at the new life. Rin carefully passed Rei to her, and Kagome stared in amazement and the black haired little girl with hanyou ears. "She's beautiful…"

"I'm so glad your finally back Kagome," Rin said, fighting back the tears in her eyes.

Kagome carefully handed the little girl back to her mother, and admired the new family.

"Sesshomaru-sama," she said to Sesshomaru, giving him a small bow in respect.

He bowed his head for a moment in return. "Welcome back, Miko," he answered coolly. Anyone whom Rin favored was worth respecting in his eyes.

Kagome gave a small laugh, and gazed around the room that was full of her long lost family. "Everyone's changed so much. I can't believe you two can be in the same room without being at each other's throats," she said to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

"It took some work…" Rin said, smiling sweetly. Kagome didn't fail to notice the way Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably and Sesshomaru stiffened ever so slightly.

Kagome laughed along with Rin. "But what happened to…Sango and Miroku…" she trailed off, hopefully.

"They got married, shortly after the final battle," Inuyasha finally spoke up. "Had a boat load of kids too. Eight in all I think. Miroku's kazana disappeared…but his other cursed hand never went away," Inuyasha smiled to himself at the memory of his old friend. "He didn't grope anyone but Sango once they were married. Kirara stays with their oldest descendant. Last I heard, they were living somewhere in America. Miroku and Sango died at a right old age, together in their sleep…" he trailed off as he remembered walking into their hut that morning, to find the old couple cold and still, holding each other in their arms. Even in death…they had looked like the happiest people on the earth.

It had made him jealous. Jealous that everyone had got a happy ending, everyone but him. With Sango and Miroku gone, he had felt very alone. True he had Shippo, and even Rin, but Shippo had still been a child then, and there was no way he would subject himself to his brother's presence, even for Rin.

It only reinforced the pain of losing Kagome.

'_But your not alone…she's here now…_' a voice in his head seemed to say.

He looked up at Kagome, and stared into her blue eyes that were shining with fresh tears.

"Sango-chan…Miroku-sama…" she whispered to herself. "I'm so glad…you found happiness…"

Inuyasha closed the gap between them, drying her tears with his sleeve and holding her in his arms.

For a moment, everyone was silent as they remembered their past, and all that they had lost in the last 500 years because of one selfish bandit's black heart. Kagome's tears eventually faded, and she began to trace the thin red lines that ran along Inuyasha's face.

"Inuyasha got those when he became full demon," Shippo said, watching Kagome's trailing finger.

"Full demon?" she asked, astonished. "How?"

"My human blood was mortal…so as it died, my demon blood eventually replaced it. Since it took a while to happen completely, my body had time to adjust to the power," he left out the part about Kouga pushing the transformation, almost killing him. But he did notice how Kouga shifted uncomfortably in the corner where he was standing.

"Full demon…" Kagome said again in wonder. "You finally got your wish Inuyasha."

"My wish," he said getting lost in her eyes. "My wish changed a long time before then."

Rin gasped a little, amazed that her brother-in-law could say something so sweet and…well cheesy. Shippo scratched his head in embaressment, wishing Inuyasha could have thought of something more manly, and Kouga could be heard in the corner making retching noises.

But none of this registered to Inuyasha and Kagome. The spell only broke when Kagome felt something biting at her skin. She slapped a hand to her neck, and watched as a squished flea floated down into her hand.

"Myoga!" she cried astonish.

"Oi, Myoga Jii-JIi, I'd appreciate it if you keep off my mate!" Inuyasha said irritably.

"My apologies!" squeaked the tiny flea in Kagome's hand. "But Kagome-sama's blood is so rich, and sweet! Never in my days have I had blood that tastes…" but he didn't finish as he tasted the blood in his mouth again.

"What's wrong Myoga?" Kagome asked, looking at him with concern.

A devilish grin turned up the corners of his mouth as he turned to Inuyasha. "Why…Lord Inuyasha…you lucky dog!"

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><p><em><strong>OMG sorry I'm so late!<strong>_

_**HELP!**_

_**I have a poll on my page, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd check it out! It has all the ideas I have for new stories (since this one's almost done) but I can't decide which one to work on next! Its at the top of my profile, and I'd mean a lot if you'd vote for your favorite really quick! Thanks!**_

_**~Lions Heart (ROAR! ^-^)**_


	35. Chapter 34

_**For those of you too lazy to add it up…Its been nine months. Do the math, lolz.**_

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><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Chapter 34

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. four years three months after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>Toothbrush?<p>

Check.

Grey night shirt?

Check.

Hairbrush?

Check.

The seventh Harry Potter book, peppermints, and retarded looking bunny slippers?

Check. Check. And it's a good thing she couldn't hear his thoughts because he would have been kissing the pavement, but, check.

Inuyasha sat back and looked at the contents strewed around him on the floor. Everything was here. Now he just had to figure out how to fit it all back in the suitcase.

"Inuyasha," came an amused voice from behind him.

He turned to look and saw Kagome, peeking in through the bedroom door, laughing softly.

"Keh! I'm just making sure we aren't forgetting anything!" he said defensively, looking around at the mess he'd created.

Kagome came further into the room, and made to kneel next to him, something that proved difficult with her protruding belly. He reached out his hands and helped her down to the free space next to him in the midst of the sea of odd belongings.

"We'll be fine!" she said giving his hand a squeeze. "We've checked everything a million times. We're ready."

"I know that…I just…" he paused, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "…I really don't want to screw this up."

"You worry to much, Papa," she sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder.

His heart fluttered in his chest at the sound of his new title.

He closed his eyes and drowned in her scent, the scent that had remained the same for years. But now there was something new in Kagome's scent, a smell that made him swell with happiness.

Kagome was _pregnant_.

Myoga, that old bat, tasted the hormones on her blood the morning after they mated. Inuyasha hadn't believed it at first, but after focusing on her scent, he smelled it too.

He couldn't help the sense of pride he got with the knowledge that he had pupped his mate on the very first try, when it had taken Sesshomaru a month when he and Rin had decided to try for a baby.

So what if it had been an accident? What's the fun in life without a few surprises, right?

He had nearly blacked out when he found out. He remembered the way Kagome seemed to glow with joy, and that glow hadn't faded in the slightest during the long nine-month wait.

They had been working hard to get ready for the baby. Kagome's mother, brother, and grandfather had been planning on moving from the shrine, even before Inuyasha and Kagome mated. It was just getting too much for Jii to go up and down the shrine steps with his frequent doctors appointments. So Inuyasha and Kagome bought them a house, right down the street from shrine, and Kagome had taken over working the shrine.

They turned Kagome's old room into the nursery. Green walls with dark furniture. They figured green was safe, whether the baby was a girl or a boy. Souta had cleared out with his mother and Jii-chan, welcoming the excuse to not have chores to do around the shrine anymore, so they remodeled his room for Shippo, insisting that he move in with them instead of sleeping on the couch at Rin and Sesshomaru's.

After all, he was their family.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha said, breaking the quiet.

"Hm?" she murmured back sleepily, still leaning into his embrace.

"Marry me."

She turned to look at him in shock. "What?"

"You heard me," he said, twisting to face her better. "Marry

me."

"But, aren't we kind of already married?"

"Well…in demon terms, yeah. But I want to give you a human wedding."

"Inuyasha, you don't have to do that!" Kagome laughed. "I wasn't one of those girls who planned out their wedding when I was ten. I don't need a wedding to be happy, I just need you."

"I know I don't have to. I want to. Besides…Sesshomaru gave Rin a human wedding!"

"Oh I get it, this is some sort of male macho thing," she said, flashing him a sly smile.

"Its not like that!" Inuyasha said rolling his eyes. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt if our wedding kicked Sesshomaru's wedding's ass…"

She laughed and rested her head on his sholder. "Then, yes. I'll marry you. And we'll hold a wedding that'll put Seshomaru to shame!" Her smile widened at the sound of his bark like laughter. "And who knows?" she continued. "Maybe by the then, he can be in it too," she said rubbing the bulge on her belly.

"He?" Inuyasha asked. "What makes you think it's a boy?"

"Mother's intuition," she said giving him a shrewd smile. "He'll be the ring bearer, and Rei will be the flower girl. Kami, I can't wait to see Shippo all dressed up in a tuxedo!" she giggled.

"For someone who didn't want a wedding, you sure seem to have given it some thought," Inuyasha said, smirking down at her.

"Keh!" she said mockingly, sticking out her tongue at him.

"Did someone say my name?" came a voice from the door.

Inuyasha and Kagome turned to see the bright haired fox youkai standing in the doorway. "Whoa! What happened in here?" he said, warily eyeing the mess surrounding the couple. "Did you have another panic attack?" he said to Inuyasha with a serious air, thought the corners of his mouth twisted into a smile.

"C'mere runt!" Inuyasha growled, yanking the kitsune down to the ground. He put the struggling youth in a headlock and began rub his fist against his head."

"Just wait till you get out!" he said to Kagome's stomach. "I'll teach you how to fight like a real man, and then you an' me will give it to 'im!"

"What, you think it'll be a boy too? How can you be so sure?" Inuyasha said, releasing Shippo from his hold.

"Cause she says it's a he," Shippo said, jabbing his thumb at Kagome. "And if Mama says her pup's a boy, then Mama's pup is a boy."

The word rolled off his tongue. _Mama_. Seeing how she would be giving birth to a pup soon, it only made sense for her to get used to her new title, but it was such a natural transition, that no one even noticed that there had been a change at all. Shippo was Kagome's son, and that's all there was to it.

Kagome gave a startled gasp and she put a hand to her belly. "See?" she said smiling up at Inuyasha. "He's telling us he is a boy."

She took Inuyasha's and Shippo's hands and placed them on her womb, allowing them to feel the pup's kicks as he attempted to make contact with the outside world. "He knows who his family is," Kagome smiled.

Shippo stared with awe at his hand as he felt the gentle kicks of the pup inside of his mama. He vaguely wondered why he didn't feel at all jealous of the new life. After all, the roll he has once filled in the Feudal Era was now about to be replaced. But somehow, he knew that he had left behind the roll of helpless child long ago, and now it was time to act as a protector for the new helpless child. His mind began to wander and he imagined all the things he could teach this new pup, and a smile snuck onto his face. He was so lost in thought, that he missed his mother's gasp of pain. But Inuyasha didn't.

"What's wrong?" he said instantly, snapping to attention.

"N-nothing…" she said shakily. "I just –" but a fresh wave of pain hit her, building rapidly in the area of her womb, before gradually subsiding into nothing.

"K'gome?" Inuyasha whispered, gripping her hand tightly.

"Inuyasha…" she panted. "Get that suitcase _packed_!"

Like lightning, Inuyasha began to hurl everything back in the suitcase and Shippo quickly helped Kagome up and down the stairs. They had reached the front door of the house when Inuyasha came tearing down the steps after them. Without a word, he scooped up his pregnant mate in one arm and shoved the suitcase in Shippo's hand. He grabbed the back of the kit's shirt and practically flew down the shrine steps, dragging Shippo behind him. He wrenched open the car door, pushing in the fox demon first before carefully laying his panting wife in the seat. He jumped in the car, slamming the door. He slammed on the acceleration and the tires spun before propelling the car forward and out onto the street. The car swerved, right, left, and another left.

"Inuyasha you going the wrong way!" Kagome screamed.

He swore loudly and sharply turned the wheel, causing the occupants of the backseat to hold on for dear life. And with a squeal of the tires, they odd family sped off down the road towards the hospital.

犬夜叉

Inuyasha sat in the waiting, his hands fidgeting non-stop.

"He's doing quite well…" Rin whispered, bouncing Rei in her lap to keep her happy.

"I would have expected him to break down a wall or two by now," Kouga whispered back, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.

"He's dong better than Sesshomaru did," Shippo said, eyeing Inuyasha warily. "He hasn't growled at any of the nurses, well at least not loudly –"

"My mate was in danger, I responded accordingly," Sesshomaru cut him off, looking menacingly at the fox.

"Would you all just shut the hell up!" Inuyasha yelled, finally losing his patience. He stood from his chair and left the others behind to stand closer to the door where his mate had disappeared from him. He wanted to be in there with her, but the nurses didn't even give him a chance to be good, they just kicking him out saying "dog demons are the worst, and with your temper it'd be safest if you waited out here."

It had taken the combined efforts of Sesshomaru, Shippo, and Kouga to drag the fuming youkai out into the waiting room.

It was driving him mad, he could smell her distress from here, and it made him sick to know that there was nothing he could do to ease his mate's distress. He felt so useless.

"Inu-Niichan," came Souta's voice from behind him. "Take this," he said, forcing a cup of coffee into Inuyasha's shaky hands. "You look like you need it."

"Thanks kid," Inuyasha said weakly, taking a sip from the steaming cup.

"Inuyasha, stop tapping your foot like that, its annoying," Souta said, sipping lightly from his own cup of hot chocolate.

Instantly, his foot froze, midtap, and he let out a growl of frustration.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine," Souta said, patting Inuyasha lightly on the shoulder. "Sis is tough, she'll make it through in one piece."

Inuyasha groaned at the thought of what it would be like if Kagome _didn't_ come back in one piece. He sunk into the nearest chair, unable to stand, and banged the back of his head against the wall, cursing Souta for giving him darker thoughts.

But he was saved from his thoughts as the doors opened, and Mrs. Higurashi came through, a surgical mask covering half of her face.

Inuyasha was up, instantly over his sudden weakness. Mrs. Higurashi pulled down the mask, revealing her broad smile. "Congratulations, Papa," she said. "It's a boy."

犬夜叉

The door knob turned, and he quickly yet carefully pushed open the door.

Kagome was laid in the bed, propped up against the pillow, and her eyes were glued to the tiny blue bundle wrapped in her arms. Her eyes turned up to meet his, and her smile grew even wider, it that was even possible.

He felt like he was in a dream. He crossed the room, barely conscious of moving his feet, and gently reached out his hand to the baby in Kagome's arms. He pushed back the blanket to reveal Kagome's raven black hair, slightly large black ears with the very tips dyed silver, and bright golden sleepy eyes blinking up at him. His son looked at him with a look that plainly said, "go away, I'm sleeping," before yawning widely and snuggling deeper into the blankets, going back to sleep. Inuyasha couldn't help but give a small laugh.

Yep. It was his son all right.

He looked up at Kagome, and her eyes sparkled with joy and excitement. "Inuyasha," she whispered, barely containing her excitement. "its…it's a baby!"

"What were you expecting, wench? A turnip?" Inuyasha laughed quietly.

"A baby…" Kagome whispered, pretending she didn't hear him. "My baby…your baby…our son…"

He climbed into the bed with her, wrapping his arms carefully around her and resting his head on her shoulder, looking down with her at the life born from their love.

"Inuyasha, I've been thinking," Kagome began, still looking at the sleeping child, "and I want to name him Inutakao." Inuyasha's ears twitched. For some reason, the name sounded familiar… "We can even call him Takao for short, if you want to."

"_Takao! How many times have I said it? I don't want you playing this far from the house by yourself! Dangerous things can happen!"_

That's when it clicked. That day, so long ago, that day that his world had nearly shattered. Now, at last, he saw the truth with his own eyes.

"Of course, if you don't like it, we could always choose another na–" but Kagome was cut off when Inuyasha pressed his lips against her, causing the rest of her sentence to turn into unintelligible moans.

"Its perfect," he whispered when he broke away. He took his hand and traced a circle around his mates face with a clawed finger, pushing her hair from her eyes.

He marvled at the woman he held here in his arms. She had given him everything. She freeded him, and gave him a second chance at life when no one else was willing. She put up with his attitude and temper, even when his stupidity hurt her. She gave up so much, just to help him with something that she could have easily turned her back on. And then she waited on him. For three and a half years, she waited and refused to move on, with no way of knowing whether she'd ever be able to see him again. And then she gave him a family, a real family. For the first time since the final battle against Naraku, he felt as if he wasn't alone anymore. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he felt as if he was the luckiest man on earth.

And as far as he was concerned, he was.

The silence was interrupted when the door opened, and the heads of the rest of his family peeked in through the door.

Shippo was in the front of the group, and he was the first to step into the room. "We all would like to greet the world's newest hanyou!"

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><p><em><strong>So…its been a while huh? I'm supper sorry its just that…well…this story is almost over. And I REAALLLY don't want it to be. Writing this story has become such a big part of my life in the past few weeks…and now I just don't know what to do. I'm supper sad its ending, so I've been dragging out writing these last two chapters just to prolong it. I'm gonna be so sad when this is over! T.T<strong>_

_**Anyway, according to my poll…**__Making History __**won! I've posted the first chapter, and right after I finish the last chapter for this story, I'll get to work on chapter two!**_

_**SUPER SPECIAL THANKS to EVERYONE who has ever read or reviewed, liked or favored this story, I'm so glad you have enjoyed reading it and I thank you for sticking with me for so long! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'd love to know what you think in a review!**_

_**LETS MAKE IT 250 REVIEWS BEFORE THE END, SHALL WE?**_

_**Not to sound like a review whore or anything ^3^**_

_**Thank you all so effing much!**_

_**~Lions Heart (ROAR! ^-^)**_


	36. Chapter 35

If You Could Only See

Chapter 35: Last Chapter.

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Seven years after the well closed.<strong>

* * *

><p>She ran around the small kitchen of the house, trying to keep the various food items from burning or spilling. It wasn't an easy task, and more often than not, it resulted in an hour or two of work. Its hard work, filling the stomach of three men everyday.<p>

Not that she minded. In fact she loved it. She loved the way Takao would play with the little animals she took so much time to make out of the food. She loved the way Inuyasha would inspect the edible creatures and scoff before popping them in his mouth. And she loved the way Shippo simply inhaled whatever was his plate, not caring what it looked like so long as it was food and was in his stomach.

It was her favorite time of the day.

She glanced out the window to where her son had been playing moments before, only to find he wasn't there. Quickly turning off the stove, she ran outside, searching for the little boy.

"Takao! Where are you?" she called worriedly when she couldn't locate her son.

A sudden movement in the direction of the old well house caught her eye, and she saw her young son running towards it.

"Takao!" she called, quickly catching up to the boy. "How many times have I said it? I don't want you playing this far from the house by yourself! Dangerous things can happen!" she said, scooping him up in her arms and kissing his cheek.

"But Mama, I want Papa!"

She staring at him in confusion. "Papa had to work late tonight, remember? But He'll be home before you know it!"

"But Mama, I wanna show Papa my charm!" Takao said, holding up his wrist with a braided black chord tied around it.

"And he'll see it when he gets home," he said, tweaking one of his slightly large, human turned ears.

"But Mama -"

"Come on you," she said, starting back for the house. "I need help making dinner for you, Shippo and your Papa."

She didn't know why, but getting a strange feeling from the well, and she didn't like it. She hadn't been in the well house in nearly four years now, and the feelings she was getting from it scared her. Some instinct in her told her to keep her son away from the bone eaters well.

So she took her pup back into the house, reassuring him that he did indeed have same color eyes as his Papa when they both had their charms on, and that he did look handsome with his human ears.

犬夜叉

As they reached the top of the stairs, the two men were greeted by the voice on a young inu hanyou.

"Shippo! Papa!" Takao yelled as he ran to his brother and father. He ran strait into Inuyasha's arms, who lifted his son up to sit on his shoulders.

"What's up, squirt?" Shippo said, messing with Takao's long hair.

"Look'it!" he said excitedly, pulling back his hair and wiggling his human ears for the world to see. "I gots ears like Mama!"

"What's wrong with havin' ears like mine?" Inuyasha said, frowning at the little boy.

"Rei called them cute…I don' wanna have cute ears," he said, pouting a bit.

"Trust me, kid. Cute ears comes in handy when you wanna pick up girls later," Inuyasha said, smirking. "First time I saw your Mama, she went straight for my ears."

"Really?" Takao said in wonder. He quickly unsnapped the bracelet and stuffed it in his pocket, allowing his ears to turn back to normal and his eyes' brown hue turn to its normal shade of gold. "I'll just keep this safe for a while," he said, patting his pocket.

Inuyasha and Shippo were still laughing as they entered the house. As soon as they were through the door, the smell of food hit all three boys, making their stomachs grumble and their mouths water.

"Its about time your home! We were about to start without you!" Kagome said, walking out of the kitchen to meet them.

"Sorry," Inuyasha said, pecking Kagome on the lips. "Lets eat, I'm starving!"

Takao jumped down from his father's shoulder and ran after Shippo to the dining room.

Inuyasha started to follow, when Kagome called him back.

"Inuyasha, something odd happened today," she said nervously.

"What happened?" he said, turning to face her.

"Well, earlier while I was making dinner, Takao was playing outside, and when I looked up, he had run off to the well house," she said timidly. "And when I asked him what he was doing, he just kept saying how he wanted to go see you. Something's been off, all day. I can feel it."

"I'll be right back," he said, and quickly tore off towards the well house.

He carefully pushed back to the door and stared inside. Memories flashed in his head of all the times he'd come through this spot, sometimes chasing after Kagome, and sometimes dragging her in behind me. He remembered coming out of it after they destroyed the sacred jewel, only to be sucked right back in. He remembered coming through one last time, only to have his world crushed.

He inhaled deeply, taking in the scents that surrounded him. The smell of the wood of the well, the earth floor the well was built into, the dust in the air from the place being ignored for so long. And covering it all was the scent of an inu hanyou.

His scent.

He froze, staring at the well. Had he really disappeared through that well mere hours ago, his hopes burned away like paper in a fire? It was odd to think about. What he had seen that day…this day…had made his life a living nightmare, when in reality, it was a preview to the happiest times he would ever have in his life.

He quietly closed the door, without going inside, and made his way back to the house, where his wife and mate was waiting worriedly for him.

"Did you find anything?"

"Yeah," he said, distractedly. "I think…today was the day I came to when the well let me through one last time."

Kagome gasped and put a hand to her mouth, her eyes filling up with tears. "That's why…Takao could smell you, and thought it was you in the well house…oh kami Inuyasha!"

"Keh, whatcha cryin' for, wentch?" Inuyasha said, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close.

"Inuyasha, it must have been so terrible for you…to live with that for so long, kami, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be," he said firmly, "because I'm not." His words caught her off guard, and she looked up, shocked, into his smiling face. "I'm not, because in the end, what was meant to happen, happened. If things hadn't played out the way they did, there's no guarantee that we'd be here together like this right now. I've got everything I ever could have dreamed of, and so much effing more. Kami, Kagome, you've made me the happiest damn man in the world, and I don't want to sulk in the past anymore, and I don't want to live in fear of the future. I want to fully enjoy the time I have, right now with you. And," he leaned in and took her lips that were slightly salty from her tears in a kiss. "I fully plan to."

"Mama! Papa! Hurry up I'm hungry!" came Takao's impatient voice from the next room.

Inuyasha sighed in impatience. It wasn't often he could come up with pure genius like that, and recently, whenever he did, something always seemed to ruin the moment.

"Inuyasha, one last thing," Kagome said, stopping him once again. "Myoga gave me a message for you when he dropped of Takao's charm earlier today."

"Hm? What'd he say?"

"He told me to tell you congratulations…Papa."

He stared at her in confusion for a moment. Then he noticed it, the small change in Kagome's scent…

"And this time," Kagome said with a wide smile on her face as she lay a hand on her belly, "I'm positive its going to be a little girl."

The End!

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><p><em><strong>I…I can't believe it. Its finished. Wow.<strong>_

_**Depressing.**_

_**Well, it had to end at some point, ne?**_

_**Since it was the last chapter, would you mind reviewing? Even If you never reviewed before, or find this months after its been posted, leave a little review! It'd mean so much to me if you did!**_

_**HELP PLEASE!**_

_**Know any good music box melodies? I need to find one, so if you've heard a really pretty one, could you find it on youtube or something and tell me the name and who posted it? THANKS SO MUCH! XD**_

_**THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO EVER READ, REVIEWED, OR FAVORED THIS STORY! I LOVE YOU ALL SO EFFING MUCH, AND I'M SO GLAD YOU STUCK WITH ME ALL THE WAY THROUGH! **_

_**I LOVE YOU ALL! WITH ALL MY HEART AND MORE!**_

_**With lots of hugs and mushie stuff, ~Lions Heart (ROAR! ^-^)**_


	37. Kouga's Ending

_**I know I said I was through…but I think Kouga deserves a happy ending too.**_

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><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Kouga's Ending.

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><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. eight years after the well closed.<strong>

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><p>Sometimes…life can really suck. And right about now, for Kouga at least, life <em>really<em> sucked. He didn't know what to do with himself. It wasn't like the old days, when he could just take off running, not caring where he went or how long he'd be gone. Now there were all these damn restrictions. "You can't be in your demonic form in from of humans, you can't kill other demons or humans, you can't fight in open places," hell, all the fun was gone!

Besides…he'd spent years searching for Kagome...ever since that fox let slip that she had come from the future. And then, finally, they'd found her. But then he'd discovered that she really did choose that dog turd over him. It wasn't like he was angry at her or anything, he truly did just want her to be happy. But his pride definitely took a blow when he was forced to admit defeat to the mutt.

And now what was he supposed to do? He for the life of him couldn't even remember what he'd done until he learned of Kagome's inevitable return.

He was still the leader of his wolf tribe. But was he supposed to do? There weren't any wars between neighboring demons. There was never a struggle to find food or fresh water. Even territory wasn't an issue…all thanks to West Industries. In all reality…he was itching for something to go wrong…something to keep his mind occupied.

He had just come back from visiting the newest member of his ever growing pack. Kagome and Inuyasha's new baby girl. He'd only just made the trip even though the cub was already a few months old. He'd stalled it as long as possible, but when the mini dog turd called him over the phone, begging in his high little voice for his "uncle Ko'" to come and see his little sister, he had no choice but to come.

Even though he was half dog demon, Takao was a pretty cool cub. It was fun to wrestle with the little twerp, and he had to admit, the kid was strong for a cub so young. But there hadn't been any horse play this time around. Takao was stuck in big brother mode, and hardly left the little girl's side, constantly asking Shippo for advise on how to protect her.

All in all, it hadn't been a very enjoyable trip. Even if he did get to see mini dog turd and Kagome. He knew he didn't love Kagome, not romantically anyway. But he still felt jealous at that mutt-face. Inuyasha had it all! The high paying job, the nice house, a beautiful mate, and now three cubs, if you counted Shippo like Inuyasha and Kagome did.

He slammed his glass down on the bar he was sitting at. It just wasn't fair, dammit! He knew his personality could seem a little…strong…at times, but he wanted a happy ending too! He wanted the job, the home, the cubs, the mate…

He wanted his own family.

"Hey sir, you want another beer?" the man working behind the counter asked.

"Yeah," he said shortly, shoving his empty glass in the direction of the bar tender.

"This is your eighth one, how come you ain't drunk stupid yet?" the guy asked curiously as he filled the glass.

"High tolerance…" Kouga mumbled. It was the truth…demons didn't succumb to alcohol as easily as humans. But it wasn't like he could tell this human that. Inuyasha made sure of it when he suggested demons go into hiding centuries ago.

Taking the glass from the man, he chugged half of it in one gulp, hopping to get a little buzzed at least.

"Bar tender, get me a glass of rum, with about three shots of vodka in there, pronto," came a new voice as a girl with bright red hair pulled into pigtails sat on the only empty bar stood left, the one right next to Kouga's.

"Uh…that's a little strong, don't cha think, miss?" the bartender said, surprised at the order.

"I said pronto, come on now I ain't getting' any younger here! I can handle it, trust me," she said coolly.

The bartender raised his eyebrows a little, but began mixing the drink anyway. Kouga however turned his head towards this new girl. He could pick her aura up right away.

"You're a demon," he said flatly, and she turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes. But what kind of demon?"

He took a moment, taking in her scent carefully. "Wolf demon, I'm sure of it," he said confidently.

"Lucky guess," she laughed as she took a sip from the drink the bartender placed before her. "And by your scent, you smell like a wolf demon too. Although…you kinda have this wet dog smell," she said wrinkling her nose.

"I was visiting a pack sister…she mated a dog demon, and now she and her kids reek of his stench too," he said, a little miffed that Kagome's natural scent was covered in dog.

"You don't sound like you like this guy very much," the red head observed.

"Not particularly," Kouga growled.

"Then why did you go visit?" she asked.

"Cause someone's gotta keep their eye on that flea bag. Plus they just had a new cub, so I had to go see the newest member of my pack."

"So you're a pack leader, huh? Which pack?"

"Eastern tribe," he said shortly. "Name's Kouga."

"Kouga, huh? I knew your scent was familiar!" she said, propping her elbow on the table and looking up at him. "I'm Ayame, leader of the Northern tribe, you remember me?"

"Ayame?" he asked, confused. His eyes strayed to the flowers resting in her hair, and suddenly he remembered! It had been back in the feudal era, back ever before he met Kagome. The leader of the Northern tribe had just come down to visit the Eastern tribe, as Kouga had just been appointed the new leader. He had gone out in search for the Northern chief's granddaughter when she had gone missing. She had been young then, only a small cub, and she had gotten cornered by the bird demons when he finally found her. He had given her the same type of flower to show her he didn't mean any harm, and she had put in one of her pigtails, just as she was wearing it now.

"Ayame!" he said surprised. He had heard that the Northern chief had passed centuries ago, but he had never gone to see the new leader because he was still on the hunt for Naraku at the time.

"I see you do remember me," she said smugly, taking another giant gulp of her drink, downing its entire contents in one go.

"Yeah…but you sure grew since then," he said, taking in her assets.

She laughed when she noticed his eyes trained on her chest, and he snapped his eyes back up to her, as if just noticing were they were staring.

"That's it. I've decided," Ayame said, looking at Kouga with a broad smile. "I'm going to be your woman from now on."

Kouga blinked, surprised. He'd never seen someone as bold as her…aside from him that is. A smile began creeping up the edges of his mouth as he thought about her offer more, though in truth, she had meant it as more of a demand than a request.

"I think I like the sound of that," he said. He reached into his wallet and pulled out some bills throwing them in the bewildered bartender's direction, never once taking his eyes off the red haired beauty.

He stood, holding his hand out to her, and she took it, hopping down from her own seat. As soon as she was down, he picked her up in his arms, cradling her against his chest, and she in turn wrapped her arms around his neck, her face never loosing that mischievous grin.

He turned, and holding his woman walked from the bar. Perhaps this day hadn't been so sucky after all.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I know I said no Ayame before…but I really wanted Kouga to have a happy ending! I guess I'm just a sucker for those…<strong>_

_**Anyway, that's probably it for reals this time!**_

_**I really appreciate all you who have reviewed or favored or followed and what-not!**_

_**I would love a final review if you have time, but if not I'd understand!**_

_**Thanks so much for reading! ily wamham!**_

_**~Lions Heart (ROAR! ^-^)**_


	38. Woes of Shippo

_**So…I'm in Tokyo Japan…and I saw this sign…and well, Bonus chapter for you!**_

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><p>If You Could Only See<p>

Woes of Shippo.

* * *

><p><strong>Modern Day Tokyo: Approx. one month before K. Higurashi's birth.<strong>

* * *

><p>Shippo stared blankly at the screen of his computer, his eyes slightly out of focus at he attempted to read the words of whatever pointless email he had just received, but the message was just incomprehensible squiggles on a bright screen.<p>

_Click-Click-Click Tap…Click-Click-Click-Click-Click…Tap-Tap…Click-_

His already waning attention was drawn to the tiny noises of his secretary typing up some document at her desk.

_Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock_

The rhythmic noise of the small clock keeping time on his desk.

_Plop….Plop…Plop….Plop_

The erratic dripping of the leaky sink in the bathroom down the hall.

_Click-Click-Tick-Click-Plop-Tock-Tap-Click-Tick-Click-Click-Tock-Tap-Plop-Tick-_

"AUGH!" Shippo finally screamed, pushing himself forcefully away from his desk so the back of his chair hit the wall. "SOMEONE PLEASE FIX THAT DAMN SINK!" he cried to no one in particular, although his secretary seemed to have heard, because the sounds of her typing were soon replaced with the much louder sounds of heels clacking as she went towards the bathroom.

"Kamidamn stupid freaking demonic hearing…" Shippo cursed under his breath. He turned to glare at the clock that was still spitting out its sickeningly perfect beat. With a huff of frustration, he snatched it up, shoving deep within the confines of a random drawer in his desk in attempt to at least muffle it's irritating sound.

Shippo stood from his seat, angrily running his blunt nails through his untidy orange hair, and heaved a great breath that would have put the big bad wolf's "huffs" and "puffs" to shame.

He looked longingly out of the window at the warm sunny day that had decided to grace Tokyo with its presence. He saw people walking down the street, some young, some old, and he lamented at the fact that he was cooped up in an office in which the silence was louder and more oppressive than anything did.

He glanced quickly back at his desk, groaning at the sight of all the work he still had to do, and looked back out at the people happily going about their lives, wishing he could join them.

He was still young, for kami's sake! He shouldn't be working inside of an office! The humans who appeared to be the same age as him were currently out, enjoying the late summer day. Sure, in the feudal era, he would have been considered an adult by now, but in this time, in this society, he was still just kid!

Shippo tore his gaze from the window and sighed. He knew he didn't really have a right to complain. It wasn't like he was being _forced_ to work. He knew that Inuyasha would pay for anything he ever needed, and he always had a place to stay, at both Inuyasha's place and Rin and Sesshomaru's. He didn't have to have a job; he didn't need the money. In truth he had begged for the job, any job really, when West Industries was first founded. Because he knew that Inuyasha would be there to help him whenever he needed it, he had been ever since they'd met, but the honest truth was, he needed the job for a distraction.

Boring paperwork, countless meeting, trying to figure out how to keep the peace between the multitude of hot-headed demons trying to live among the ignorant humans, it was all just one big distraction to keep his mind occupied and away from thoughts of…

His mother.

Shippo felt a dull blow to his heart at the thought of her. Over the years, the pain of the loss of the first motherly figure he'd ever known had not faded, rather, he had just grown accustomed to the pain, and learned how to keep it from sneaking up on him in the most inopportune times.

Like right around now…the time of year that signaled what would eventually be, or perhaps had already been, Kagome's birthday.

She'd only mentioned it once…in passing really. Right after she rescued him from the dark path he had been treading. She'd been asking him questions…things that anyone would normally ask a kid. Trying to get to know him, she was learning about him and making him feel special with small, unimportant questions.

"_What's your favorite color?"_

"_And your favorite food?"_

"_How about things you like to do?"_

"_When is your birthday?"_

Shippo had then thought to ask some questions himself; he wanted to know about her, too.

"_When is your birthday, Kagome?"_ he had asked, and the young fox could practically feel the hanyou in front of them roll his eyes at how sickeningly sweet and innocent he had made his voice sound for the older girl, of course he'd done it on purpose.

"_My birthday? Well it actually wasn't too long ago!" _she had answered cheerily. _"It was just in the last few weeks!"_

The conversation had continued from there, still mostly consisting of the kit telling his new caretaker more about himself, and he had long forgotten the rest of that early talk. But her birthday had always stuck in the fox demon's mind. It was always the time of year that was hardest for him.

Images of the face he missed so much and flashes of those few precious memories seemed more frequent during this time of year, and it always sent Shippo on edge, putting him in a mood that was worse for the wear.

Shippo stepped away from the window, and fell of the couch against the wall. His mind was too distracted by depressing thoughts to concentrate. He just wished he could ease the pain. He didn't want to forget his mother…that would be an insult to everything she had sacrificed for them…for him. He just wanted to slip into a state of unawareness, where he could be unbothered by the ghosts of his past.

Dreary eyes began to slowly wander to the cabinets on the walls, and they landed on the door where Shippo had hidden the 'present' that Kouga had given him last time he had harassed Inuyasha.

Something that Inuyasha would _kill_ him for, if he knew that the under aged boy had it.

Inuyasha…who was the reason he'd never see his mother again…

Making a rash decision, Shippo stood up and rushed to the door, wrenching it open and pulling out his forbidden treasure, the one he had sworn he wouldn't touch.

He examined the wine bottle…a special brand, brewed by demons to have ten times the alcohol content of any human drink. Just one glass would be enough for any normal human to die of alcohol poisoning, but Shippo was no human.

Digging a nail into the cork, Shippo wrenched the stopper out of the bottle and raised the glass to his lips before he hesitated.

'_What would Kagome think if she knew I was drinking?'_ Shippo thought ashamedly. But then he remembered the reason he had taken out this temptation in the first place. _'But I guess it doesn't matter…since I'll never see her again!'_

And with that, Shippo downed the _entire_ bottle, never once pausing as the burning liquid scorched his throat, swallowing everything in several large gulps.

犬夜叉

Inuyasha banged his head against the back of the headrest of his car. _Why_ he had thought taking the road today was _beyond _him. He should have known better of course. Tokyo traffic was always bad, but at _this _time of day, attempting to get anywhere by the roads was simply suicide.

They weren't even moving for kami's sake! He was stock still, his legs bent uncomfortably in the small metal vessel, and he had an itching, burning desire to go all ape-shit crazy, or rather _dog_-shit crazy in his case, and burst from his car, flinging the honking air pollutants out of his freaking way so he couldjust _finally…get…home_!

Inuyasha groaned and let his head fall to the steering wheel as car horns blared unhelpfully on all sides. He turned his head to the side lazily, looking up at the tall skyscrapers and buildings that contained him on all sides. His eyes drifted over the many signs and billboards, not really taking in the advertisements. Until one caught his eye…

…what the _hell_?

Inuyasha's head snapped up, and pressed his nose flat against the glass as he stared, gaping at the unbelievable.

Occupying the _largest_ advertising place in the vicinity, the workers still pasting the very last corner to the frame, sat a white poster, with big red letters that read,

_WE LOVE YOU!_

_WE MISS YOU SO MUCH KAGOME,_

_PLEASE COME HOME!_

_CALL ME AS SOON AS YOU SEE THIS!_

_LOVE SHIPPO_

Inuyasha blinked. Hard. Surely…he hadn't…Shippo wasn't _that _much of an idiot…was he?

Whipping out his phone, Inuyasha typed in the telephone number, scowling when he recognized it as Shippo's office number. The phone rang once…twice…

"KAGOME IS THAT YOU?" Shippo's voice blasted through the phone, so loud that Inuyasha was forced to jerk the phone away from his human looking ear, lest he go deaf.

"Of course it isn't you moron!" Inuyasha snapped into the phone. "What the hell were you thinking? Shippo!"

"INUYASHA YOU BAKA! GET OFF THE…" there was a pause as the boy on the line gave a loud hiccup, "THE LINE! K'GOME IS TRYIN'TA CALL!"

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he recognized what the tone and slurred words of the young fox indicated. "You're _drunk_!" Inuyasha accused, unable to believe it himself.

"SO WHA' IF I AM?" Shippo bellowed. "I don' hav'ta listen to YOU! I'm…old enough ta' make OWN decisions!" There was a loud crashing sound, indicating that Shippo had knocked something over, "AND I'M FINDIN' K'GOME!"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to retort, but the line clicked, signaling that the demon he had taken charge of had hung up on him.

The dog youkai growled furiously at the dial tone he was now receiving, and snapped his phone shut as he threw it down on the seat next to him. Quickly he got out of the car, ignoring the renewed honks and yells of the drivers angry with him for leaving his car, and made his way over the workers who were just beginning to pack up their supplies.

"Oi!" Inuyasha yelled, running over to stop them before they left. "Take that sign down!" he demanded fiercely.

The men looked at him, slightly surprised at the silver haired man's demand.

"Sorry sir, but we can't do that. This sign's been paid for in full for the next year. This baby isn't going any where for a while yet," one man said bravely, pointedly looking away from the glare the young man was sending him

"Yeah…by the kid _I'm_ responsible for!" the thoroughly pissed man said. "I don't _care_ how much he paid for it, I'll pay you to _take it down_!"

"Sorry s-sir, but we don't actually own this…" another man stammered. "We just p-put up the sign. You'll have to call the owner and talk to him about taking it down," he said reaching it into his pocket and pulling out a business card with the number.

Inuyasha took it, grumbling a very _less-than-thankful_ thanks, before getting back into his car, slamming the door shut.

Traffic was now moving slightly, and the demon pushed his car through the throng of vehicles, turning around and heading back to the office while calling the number on the card to get the sign removed. He had a baka fox to take care of back at the office building he had recently left.

It was the first time the young demon had ever had anything alcoholic, and Inuyasha just couldn't imagine where the kit had gotten the drink. Once the was certain though, Shippo would need some extra help the next morning when he experience his very first, and hopefully_ last_, pulsating hangover.

犬夜叉

A few hours later, a young woman stared up at the sign across the street smiling fondly at the endearing message it broadcasted out to the public.

"Dear…Dear look at that!" she said excitedly, pointing to the billboard with enthusiasm lighting up her eyes.

The man by he side paused in his attempts at hailing a taxi to look in the direction his wife was pointing, and when he saw the sign he looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "So? What about it?" he said indifferently.

"I just think that's the _sweetest_ thing I've ever seen!" she gushed. "And look at the name! It's the same as the name of the game those children were playing at your father's shrine the other day! Dear, I think it's a sign!"

"Of course it's a sign!" the dark haired man said amusedly. "It's a _billboard_!"

"Oh that's not what I meant!" she said, lightly hitting his shoulder. "I meant that I think the kami is trying to tell us something!"

"Koi(1)," the man said, looking down at his wife exasperatedly, "you think _everything_ is a sign from the kami…even the number of seeds in an orange slice has some sort of significance with you!"

"One must have an open mind to achieve spiritual awareness," she sniffed indifferently.

"Ugh, you've been spending too much time around my father…" he muttered grumpily, making the shorter woman laugh lightly at the pout on his face.

"Well, regardless if _you_ believe it or not, I've made up my mind!" she said triumphantly.

"You sure?" he said seriously. "I don't mind it…but this isn't exactly something you can change after you've decided."

"I'm sure!" she said without hesitation. She smiled warmly up at her husband, a twinkle in her eye. She lifted a hand to take hold of his, and brought it to her massive stomach, resting it on the lump that indicated what would soon be a newborn babe. "How bout it?" the soon-to-be mother said sweetly down to her stomach. "Why don't you tell your father how much you like your new name, Kagome?"

Both adults gave a small gasp, and smiled warmly at he each other as they both felt the slight kick the baby gave at the sound of her name.

* * *

><p><em><strong>When I was on a boat tour in Japan the other day, I saw a giant sign with KAGOME written on it, and I just got this little idea…haha idk. As it turns out, it was actually an advertisement for vegetable juice…I haven't tried it though ^-^<strong>_

_**Anyways, I REACHED 300 REVIEWS! THAAANNNKKYOOOUUU!**_

_**You have no clue how happy that makes me!**_

_**I really appreciate it, people! And I hoped you enjoyed this little bonus piece! I may or may not upload another, it all depends on if I like the idea or not! Anyways, as I always say () I'd really really love a little review! Even a little small one! It'd really mean the world to me to hear what you think!**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**~Lions Heart (ROAR! ^-^)**_


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